The Mind is a Mystery
by ElfinKnight
Summary: Starts at the end of Captain America: Civil War. Steve obtains the assistance of Thor to restore Bucky's memory and then helps Bucky cope with the memories while working to rebuild his life. Sorry for not being more specific. This is my first attempt at publishing online so please stick with constructive commentary. This will be cannon only up to Civil War.
1. Awakening

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter One: Awakening

Steve's face hovered before him in a haze. Bucky didn't realize he couldn't move until he thought to reach out to his friend. When he attempted to speak he found he couldn't.

"I'm sorry Buck, there's nothing we can do," The hazy image of his friend stated before stepping away to be replaced by Iron Man. The suited man raised his arm and fired of a blast.

Bucky's mind then blanked out before he found himself strapped into the chair that wiped his memory with Alexander Pierce standing before him demanding a report. Bucky's immediate response was to fight the restraints holding him down. Pierce ordered the scientists nearby to start the procedure as Bucky fought all the harder. Then his mind went blank once more, only to replace a uniformed man speaking the Russian trigger words for his control, circling Bucky as the man spoke. His mind faded out again only to have him causing a car crash, he had no control over his body as he kills his former friend Howard. Then, Howard shifts into Natasha Romanova protecting a scientist as he is firing a gun.

More of Bucky's memories flash past as he finds himself forced deeper and deeper into his mind. He remembers countless wipes and countless deaths until his mind freezes onto a single memory of him, Bucky, not the Winter Soldier crushing the windpipe of a scientist with a newly attached metal arm. Finally, a voice whispered into his mind, " _There, it is done. Your mind is free."_

Steve sat beside the bed where Bucky slept, the Asgardian healer that Thor had brought had finished ' _clearing the corruption from his mind_ ' is how Thor described it only a half hour ago and Steve had refused to leave Bucky's side once the supposed goddess had finished. Eir was her name, his mind supplied as he thought of what the next stage would be. T'Challa, Scott, Thor, Jane and Eir all occupied a lab down the hall now, consulting on how to reconstruct, and upgrade, Bucky's metal arm. T'Challa offered Vibranium as the material for the new arm to be made from since he felt a little guilty for attempting to kill Bucky a few times over. Scott and Eir were giving their input on how to make it more efficient and comfortable for Bucky.

Steve glanced at the shoulder where the previous metal arm had been attached and sighed softly as he noted that the scar tissue and damage to the surrounding area had been significantly reduced with the help of the Asgardian 'goddess of healing'. He thought back to his conversations with both Wanda and Vision, who had tracked them down in determination to be with Wanda for some reason. They had both made it clear that they didn't want to mess with Bucky's already damaged and frayed mind. Thus it came as a shock when less than two days after the conversation when Thor showed up with Jane and Eir in tow stating simply that Tony had contacted him, asking for a healer for Steve's old war friend.

Steve was drawn out of his thoughts as he noticed Bucky stirring and resisting the restrains that T'Challa had insisted on until they were certain that Bucky wouldn't lash out immediately upon waking. The restraints proved wise as when Bucky's eyes flew open he immediately started thrashing around as much as the restraints allowed. Steve was out of his chair and attempting to calm his friend immediately. Although Bucky's eyes were open, he didn't seem to see Steve, but rather some invisible demon and screamed at it. Eir and a few of the medical staff in the hidden facility arrived.

The staff wanted to sedate Bucky but Eir stopped them, "He has endured more than most. If you sedate him he will only react like this when awaking for a longer amount of time. Let his comrade calm him."

"Bucky… Bucky… It's ok, it's me, it's Steve. Please… Bucky, it's _Steve…_ " Steve was muttering as he leaned over Bucky. He finally simply decided to hug his thrashing friend and repeatedly whisper in Bucky's ear. " _It's ok, you're ok. You're safe now. I got you, you jerk… I'm right here."_

Finally, after several minutes of this Bucky slowly stopped fighting both the restraints and Steve's hold, " _St…Steve?"_ He whimpered causing Steve to pull back a little to look Bucky in the eye.

"I'm right here," Steve gave Bucky a soft smile as he looked into Bucky's confused expression.

"Where are we? What is this place?" Bucky questioned as he looked around. "Why am I tied up?"

"The process I used means he will be able to remember everything but only as he calls on the memories. I did this so that it would be less harmful to him. It is less traumatizing this way. You can remove the restraints now. He will still have night terrors though so I don't recommend having him isolated when sleeping," Eir explained as she came closer now that Bucky had calmed.

"Who's the dame and why is she dressed up like a Greek goddess?" Bucky asked as Steve started removing the restraints holding Bucky down. Bucky glanced to his left and noticed his arm missing. For half a heartbeat he nearly panicked before his mind supplied what happened. "My shoulder hurts less now."

"I am Eir, the head healer of the Asgardian court, and your shoulder had much improperly tended and healed tissue. I mended a significant amount of the damage and repaired the nerve endings. It will be a few more weeks before we can properly replace the prostatic arm however. We wish to make it as comfortable to you and as life like as possible. There is no need for you to have to suffer simply because we did less than our best," Eir smiled gently before nodding to the medical staff who watched Bucky carefully sit up with Steve's assistance and then she waved the staff away completely as she exited the room, leaving the two friends to talk in privacy.

"So, you said not to wake you up until we could remove the programing the Hydra implanted in your brain. It took me a few weeks to figure out how to do it… or rather it took Tony a few weeks for Tony to get his head out of his ass and come up with a solution. Actually, I am kind of surprised he hasn't come to give his input in replacing your arm. He did blast off the last one. Also, we are in Wakanda, to answer your initial question. This is a secret research facility King T'Challa took us to after getting us out of Siberia," As Steve spoke, Bucky's mind confirmed what he said without really elaborating on the information other than to provide the face of T'Challa.

"Right… So… How did you get the programing out?" Bucky asked as he shifted to the edge of the bed he had been strapped to.

"Apparently, Asgardians are super advanced in technology compared to us 'Midgardians', or at least that is what Thor said. That Eir lady stood over you for a good two hours a day for the whole week holding this weird crystal to your head. She said she had to repair a lot of the neural pathways that had been disrupted because of what they did you. I'm not exactly sure exactly how it worked but Thor seemed certain that it was a simple task and believe it or not but I actually trust Thor. He goes out of his way to take care of his friends and always seems eager to make new ones. Plus, he tends to be good at having your back in a fight," Steve smiled more at the end of that. "So, they said once you were awake we could relocate you to an actual room, rather than a cot in the infirmary. You think you are up to walking?"

"Yeah, I was a little disoriented when I woke but my head seems clear now," Bucky responded, referring to his freak out when he woke. Steve immediately helped him up and once Bucky was stable on his feet, they left the infirmary.

As they walked, they passed through several hallways before Bucky froze looking out the first window he had seen since waking up. He suddenly understood what Steve meant when he said 'secret research facility'. The view outside of the window was of a dense jungle foliage and a side view of what looked to be a giant statue of a cat.

"It is majestic, is it not?" T'Challa commented behind the two men causing Bucky to jump in surprise and Steve to chuckle at his friend's surprise. Steve had had a few weeks to become accustomed to the Wakandan King silently appearing behind him.

"Yeah, it is. Thank you, by the way, Your Majesty," Bucky responded once he recovered from being startled by T'Challa.

"What are you thanking me for? I did not create the view before you and I didn't force you to enjoy it," T'Challa seemed a bit confused.

"No, I meant thank you for giving me a safe haven. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have lost your father. I'm sorry about that by the way," Bucky responded, guilt marking his face.

"You neither set off the explosion that cost my father his life, nor did you ask to be hunted by a deranged man bent on revenge. If anything, it is I who should apologize to you. I falsely accused you of my father's death and attempted to take your life multiple times. If I had not heard Zemo himself confess to the entire plot, I may have committed a grave sin in taking your life. Providing you a safe place to rest and recover is the least I can do in atonement," T'Challa responded, his expression blank but an underlying tone in his voice expressing his regret for his actions.

"Well, if I'm not to blame, neither are you. You were being manipulated. We all were apparently," Bucky offered as a way of saying he didn't blame T'Challa for his actions. "Well, I am sure you are an extremely busy man, being King and all. Steve was just showing me to my room."

"You are correct. I must return to my duties. Let me just part by saying that I hope the accommodations will be to your liking," T'Challa nodded his head to Steve and then turned and walked away.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all," Steve joked, ducking when Bucky took a swipe at his head. "And OUR rooms are really nice. I doubt you will have any complaints."

"Sure, punk," Bucky responded as Steve led him the rest of the way to the rooms in question.


	2. Settling In

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter 2: Settling In

Bucky froze at the entrance to the rooms Steve had led him to. Within was a room that looked more like a large apartment rather than a single bedroom like Bucky was expecting. One of the walls was almost solid glass with a small terrace on the other side. The terrace held a tiny table and two chairs. The room itself held a full living room set on one half and a kitchenette on the other. The living room portion had three doors leading off from there.

"So… this is supposed to be our rooms? Kinda a lot of space for just the two of us. Our old place was less than half this room alone," Bucky finally commented as he entered.

"Yeah. It took me some getting used to as well. You should have seen the first place SHIELD set me up in. I was this size but located in Manhattan. It was insane. The last place before that that I lived in was a tent. Heck, our old place was nice compared to the frozen camps we had. Then, suddenly I went from a time when have an ice box was a luxury only the wealthiest could afford to being a common household appliance that everyone is expected to have. Being on ice for 70 plus years does show how much the world can change though. Still no flying cars like Howard promised though," Steve stopped when he realized he was rambling and Bucky had been more interested in exploring the kitchenette than listening to him.

Bucky focused mostly on the microwave and toaster as those were things he was completely baffled by. The refrigerator and oven were expected. He had encountered mini iceboxes while staying in motels during prolonged assignments and ovens were around even before the war, though not nearly this advanced. He had even seen a few coffee makers in the more recent years for his assignments, though he had never actually used one.

"It feels way too over the top. I guess that the bedrooms are just as extravagant?" Bucky finally said pulling himself away from the kitchenette and looking at Steve to realized his friend wore an almost pained expression. "What?"

"Huh? Nothing," Steve seemed to snap out of whatever daze he had fallen into. "This isn't that fancy really. You should see Stark Tower in New York. Tony gave us all each our own floor. I have a personal gym on my floor. Never mind that the tech is probably some of the most advanced in the world and there is essentially a Computer butler…" Steve stopped again when he noticed Bucky frowning. "Sorry, didn't mean to ramble like that. I guess I'm just a little nervous. It has been so long since we got to actually spend time together I feel like I don't know what to say."

"Sorry… you know… for costing you your previous home. Um… which room is mine?" Bucky had turned extremely awkward and quiet now and looked at the wall with two doors.

"Oh! Right! Your room is the one on the left. T'Challa had them put some clothing that should be your size in there. The bathroom is the door on the right and mine room is the one on that side of the room…" Steve's response was cut short as Bucky practically slammed the door to his room shut. Steve felt his frown deepen when he finally registered the first half of what Bucky had said. An apology for costing him his home. It took Steve only a few steps before he reached his friend's door and knocked on it and waited a moment for a response. When one wasn't forth coming he tried speaking through the door instead. "You didn't cost me a home, you know. Tony lost it when he saw the video and he didn't really think beyond that. His actions were a heat of the moment kind of thing. The fact that he got Thor to bring and Asgardian healer, THE Asgardian healer was his way of apologizing. Besides, I always thought we agreed that home is where you are happiest, not your current place."

A few minutes passed as Steve stood at the door hoping for a response from his friend. As he moved to turn away from the door, Bucky finally opened it, "You are such a sap, you know that?"

"You were the one who said that to me when we needed to move camps in the dead of winter in Europe, Buck," Steve responded with a small smile.

"Only because you looked so damned forlorn about having to relocate," Bucky shot back with ease.

"We were going from a relatively protected from the wind valley to virtually frozen mountain top. I was worried we would all freeze to death. You weren't any happier about it," Steve chuckled softly. "You going to come out of there? I am sure you are hungry and I actually know how to use the kitchen pretty well."

"I don't know, you sure you know how to use those newfangled contraptions? They look a little complex," Bucky was teasing now which eased Steve's mind quite a bit.

"Yes, I know how to use them. Actually, since I had some advanced warning that you would be waking up today I got things set up to make something special," Steve winked with the last bit before turning towards the kitchen area and pulling things out of the refrigerator.

Bucky softly closed his door and looked through the provided clothing before selecting some sweats and a t-shirt out of the bunch to wear. He struggled a little to get out of the current clothing he wore while asleep, missing an arm was truly inconvenient for him. The sweats and t-shirt were only marginally easier to get on than the other clothing was to take off but he managed to do so without too much fuss. Once he finished he exited his room to see Steve at the stove.

Steve had veggies in a pan on one side of the stove and what looked to be a grill on the other side of the stove had steaks cooking. The blonde glanced back at him when he closed the door and smiled softly, an unidentifiable look in his eyes, "Medium rare right?"

"God, you weren't kidding when you said something special. Granted most of my meals for the past 70 odd years have been MREs or what amounts to crap from fast food places so I suppose pretty much almost anything would be an upgrade from that. I don't know when the last time was that I had a real meal much less a steak," Bucky's words were accompanied with a big grin which resulted in Steve smiling back at him with equal pleasure despite the latest information provided by his friend. The medical staff and Eir had all said Bucky had been bordering on malnourished so Steve wasn't exactly surprised even if it didn't make him happy.

"Well, I suggest savoring this. I know I savored the first real food I had after coming out of the ice. Not eating for 70 years can apparently do that to a man," Steve stated as he pulled the steaks off the grill and then split the veggies in the pan between the two plates. Each of them got two steaks a piece and a large helping of veggies.

Bucky would have been happy with just this but then he watched as Steve opened the oven and pulled out some bread sticks that had been warming in it. The bread sticks were quickly tossed into a waiting basket and he grabbed both that and what appeared to be a bowl that Bucky had missed until now holding sliced fruit, "Can you grab the plates for me?" Steve asked as he went over to set the things in his hands on the nearby table.

"Sure. Man, I didn't think I took that long to get changed," Bucky remarked as he collected the plates and transferred them to the table as well. Steve meanwhile had gone to the refrigerator and pulled out a couple of locally made beers.

"You didn't. Like I said before, I knew you were going to wake up today. I did most of the prep for this this morning. It doesn't take that long to fry up some vegetables and sear a steak. The bread sticks were made by T'Challa's culinary staff and I just warmed those up. Not much to it really," Steve smiled once more as he sat down at the table, Bucky following suit.

"It used to take you two hours to make a fancy meal like this, even if you did buy the bread. How did you get so quick at it?" Bucky asked before freezing as he stared at the steaks in front of him. "Though admittedly you didn't really think it through completely."

"Huh?" Steve asked as he looked up from his plate as he had just been cutting up his steaks before realizing the problem. "Ah, Buck, I'm sorry. I really didn't think about it. Here, pass your plate over here. I will cut up your food for you."

Bucky handed over the plate and watched as Steve quickly cut the steaks into bite sized pieces, "Don't beat yourself up about it too much. It is still going to be the best meal I have had in literally decades. Besides, I had to feed you plenty of times. It's about time you pay me back for all that hard effort to keep you alive." Bucky teased, alluding to the time when Steve was a lot smaller and often got sick.

"Fair enough. I will try to keep in mind that you haven't been fully fixed up. They did say it would be only another week at most," Steve returned Bucky's plate and once more focused on his food.

Silence fell as the two ate. Bucky had to repeatedly remind himself mentally to eat as slowly as Steve because he really was extremely hungry and the food was extremely good. It did take them some time to work their way through all of what Steve had prepared due to the volume needed to actually sustain them. Just as Bucky was stealing the last bread stick from the basket a knock sounded on the door to their suite. Steve got up and answered it and a moment later let one of his friends in. Bucky's mind supplied the name Clint Barton after he thought about it for a moment.

"Hey, I just came to let you know, Tony contacted T'Challa. He said he would be arriving with a few people that we will be happy to see and his arrival would also bring peace offerings in the form of gifts. Said he would be here first thing in the morning. Thought you guys would want to know," Barton said once he was actually in the suite and could see both of them. "He also said to say that he promises that he comes in peace."

Bucky noted that this last bit had been directed mostly at him but Steve still nodded his understanding, "Ok, thanks for the heads up. I take it this means he will likely be bringing Nat here. It will be nice to see her."

"Probably, though the way he was talking made it sound like he was bringing more than just a single person. He requested permission to have a few Quinjets come in. T'Challa made it clear to Tony that if he was thinking to trick them into allowing an armed force into the country Tony would sorely regret it. Tony's response was that although he would be bringing a force that most wouldn't be armed because he wouldn't trust them with a cookie much less a weapon. I'm not sure how T'Challa felt about that statement but I am now seriously curious to know who he has coming with him," Clint said the bit about the cookie with a chuckle. "I also know that both Eir and the medical staff have requested they get access to your previous medical care records so I am guessing Tony is bringing that as well since I doubt he would have left that base in Siberia with anything the few remaining people from Hydra would like to get their hands on."

"Ok, Thanks again for letting us know. I take it we will be expected to join the welcoming committee?" Steve asked seriously.

"You are. T'Challa asks that Bucky wait in the conference room and we will have everyone meet up there for Tony's grand apology. I am going to record it so that I can use it for future reference anything Tony comes up with an equally stupid idea as trying to force us to dance for the puppet theatre. Personally I think Tony is being on the level though. I mean there is no reason for him to have gotten Thor to bring someone to help Sergeant Barnes regain his memory and remove the programing if he was just going to attack us now but T'Challa is being on the cautious side," Barton answered just as seriously. "I should let you guys sleep though, we are expecting Tony and company to arrive pretty early, or at least that is what he threatened."

"Ok. See you in the morning," Steve nodded as Barton left and he closed the door. When Steve turned back around it was to find Bucky stacking the plates and other things on the table as best he could with one hand.

Steve quickly moved to grab the stack and transferred it to the dish washer that was attached to the Breakfast bar where Bucky had missed it in his earlier examination of the kitchen. He realized at this point that he hadn't been nearly as observant as he normally would have and it was because he felt safe with Steve near him. He smiled at Steve once more before telling him that he was tired and was going to go sleep. Steve just nodded his head and told Bucky to let him know if he needed anything. After Steve finished the clean-up he went to his own room. He decided to leave his door open just in case Bucky needed him during the night and quickly changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt before climbing into his overly comfortable bed. It was as stiff as a mattress could be and that was the best he could ask for.


	3. Nightmares

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter 3: Nightmares

After Steve had left to go to his room Bucky was quick to close the door on his room and it was then that he felt the tension coming back into his body. He debated mentally for a moment before quickly grabbing the pajama bottoms and some shorts provided in his room and heading to the bathroom.

Inside the bathroom he managed with minimal difficulty to undress and a small amount of experimentation had him figuring out how to properly operate the shower. Once it was a comfortable temperature, Bucky slid under the fall of water and completely wet himself. The part of his mind that kept offering up the new little bits of information told him he had never really lingered in the shower and he decided to keep true to that. He looked around for a shampoo container before realizing there was none. Instead, there was apparently dispensers on the side of the shower. A bit more experimentation revealed the first of the three was shampoo and the second was conditioner. This meant the third must be body wash which was logical since it held a luffa on a hook behind it.

This last bit was a bit odd as he had always simply used a bar of soap but he figured he would adjust as he rinsed himself off. Once he was clean, Bucky turned off the shower rather than lingering and exited the shower. Drying himself off was a bit difficult with one hand but he managed in the end. This time dressing was easier as he had figured out the trick of doing it one handed. Finished, he threw his things in the hamper that had been provided in the bathroom and went back to his room. He noticed Steve's door was cracked but the light was off.

Bucky shut his own door firmly, not comfortable leaving himself exposed in any way now that he was away from Steve. He then proceeded to shut the curtains tight. Once this was done, Bucky flicked off the light and lay down on top of the covers of his bed. He felt himself sink down and realized he wasn't going to be able to sleep on the bed. He climbed off it, pulled the covers off, folded them in half and straightened them on the floor. Once this was done, he grabbed a single pillow, laid it on the ground and then laid down on the blanket rather than the bed. The exhaustion from the over stimulation he had received during the time since he had woken caused him to slip into a swift sleep.

Dreamscape

He was on the bridge again. This time though, Steve was not holding his own. Bucky was forced to feel himself screaming silently in him mind while his body moved against his will. His mind watched as his body killed first Romanoff, then Sam. Finally, he watched as his body first dislocate Steve's left shoulder as he ripped away his shield and then putting a bullet in his head.

The next thing he knew he was on the Helicarrier facing off once more with Steve. Again, he had no control over his body but was mentally present. Bucky mentally tried to fight his body while his body fought Steve. He heard himself screaming at Steve. This time when Steve said 'cause I'm with you till the end of the line' Bucky's body kept punching. When they fell through the hole, this time Bucky's body left Steve to drown rather than pull him out of the water.

Then, he was off to the side of a snow covered road in Ukraine. Sitting in a tree, Bucky had a sniper rifle leveled at the road waiting. Bucky's body didn't seem to register the cold but he mentally realized it had to be -10o C. His body viewed an armored car through the scope and waited until it neared a curve next to the edge of a cliff. His body shot, not at the armored body of the car but rather the tires, first the front and when the shot didn't cause the red head to lose control on the icy road it fired again at the back tire. Finally, the car went over the edge. The body dismounted from the tree and approached the edge of the road.

The red head had extracted herself from the car by this point and was removing the scientist who was his target. The scientist was unresponsive but the body seemed to believe it was necessary to ensure that the kill was made. Bucky's body once more leveled his sniper rifle and took a second shot, shooting through the red head, Natasha, he remembered finally, and ensuring the scientist died. The body then aimed for and shot the struggling and injured Natasha through the head.

End Dreamscape

Bucky's dreams took him through several more memories as the Winter Soldier, twisting them to make the actions of his body even worse than the actual acts that had been performed. He woke just after he went through killing Howard Stark again. He also realized that he was in Steve's room. Steve was murmuring calming words to him and it took him a few moments to realize he was actually in Steve's lap as his friend spoke, telling him that it was going to be ok.

"Steve…?" He felt a need to be certain even though he recognized the voice.

The arms around him tightened, "How are you doing Buck?" Steve's tone had shifted, now realizing that Bucky was aware.

"What happened? How did I get in here?"

"I think you may have sleep walked. I woke up to you sitting in this corner, listing something in Russian. I am guessing they are how certain people the Winter Soldier killed…. Died. I can't know for certain but you said a lot of names and last one was Howard," Steve was gentle as he spoke.

"That makes sense. I dreamt I was forced to mentally watch while the Soldier went beyond what I know he actually did. I felt so helpless," Bucky stated simply while he gave into his desire to lean into Steve's body, for comfort more than anything else.

"I am actually surprised you actually felt like telling me your dreams. Don't most people with PTSD not want to talk about it because it makes them feel…" Steve drifted off before restarting. "I didn't want to talk about anything when I woke up after being on the ice. Not to anyone."

"I think it has to do with what that Norse lady did to clean the programing from my head. For some reason I feel perfectly safe, well at least while you are there. To be fair though, I _HAVE_ only been awake for less than a day before we had to go back to sleep. What time is it?"

Steve looked over towards the digital clock near his bed before responding, "It's almost 2 am. You think you can try going back to sleep?"

"I'm not sure. Mind if I stay in here with you? Like I said, I feel more secure with you near," Bucky still hadn't attempted to extract himself from Steve's hold.

"No problem. You want to sleep on the bed or the floor?" Steve asked. At this point Bucky finally looked toward the bed and noticed that it was more of a futon on the ground.

"Looks like there isn't much of a difference," Bucky joked.

"I can't really handle normal beds, too soft. T'Challa was nice enough to provide this alternative. More comfortable than the hard floor and not nearly as soft as even the stiffest bed," Steve responded, finally retracting his arms from around his best friend.

Bucky didn't know how to feel about the fact that he felt almost rejected when Steve pulled away. He pushed the feeling aside and got off his friend's lap, "I don't want to make you sleep on the floor."

"We can always share, you know. We used to do it is all the time. Plus, this bed is way bigger than the one in our apartment," Steve pointed out as he stood. He didn't wait for a response before moving over to the bed and laying down on it. "Your choice."

Bucky stared at the bed for several moments before Steve sat up and glared at him as if to say 'get in the bed idiot'. Bucky obeyed the glare and settled onto the other side of the bed. He quickly felt his body relax as he shifted slightly so that he was back to back with Steve. His mind started to fade back into sleep in this position. He was deep asleep before Steve turned over and draped an arm over him and snuggled close before sleeping himself.


	4. Presents and Apologies Part 1

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Author's note: This Chapter will contain a few characters from Marvel's Agents of SHIELD, if you haven't seen it don't worry, I won't really be referencing too much from the show other than the characters. For those who do or have read the comics, they will be easily recognizable.

Chapter 4: Presents and Apologies Part 1

When Bucky woke in the morning his mind was foggy and only barely registered that he was in a bed. As his mind cleared he reached out for Steve only to find where he had been being empty and cold. Sitting up, Bucky looked toward the spot and found a note on the pillow. It read ' _Bucky, went for a morning run with Sam. I'll be back by 5:30. If you are up before I get back feel free to make yourself breakfast. There are Eggs, bacon and chopped veggies in the fridge. Steve'_

Bucky got off the bed and stood stretching, the note still in hand. He looked at the clock and noted that it was just after the time on the note. He exited the room and headed to the kitchen area, he mentally noted the noise of a shower running and realized Steve was probably cleaning up after his run. Once more he wondered at his extreme calm in the face of the simple fact that he shouldn't feel nearly this comfortable in such a foreign environment. He just as quickly shrugged it off knowing it was likely because of whatever the Asgardian lady had done to repair his brain after all the damage done by Hydra. He knew instinctively that he hadn't been this relaxed in a new place since before WWII.

Going to the fridge he pulled out first a jug of orange juice which he took a drink from straight from the jug and then started pulling the things he needed to make scrambled eggs out one at a time. Bucky quickly came to the conclusion that the sooner they replaced his arm the better. When they had put him back in cryostasis, he hadn't cared since he didn't really need it while he was on ice. Now that he was awake again though it was very quickly becoming extremely irritating.

By the time he had gotten the eggs he needed cracked in a bowl he contemplated how he would deal with whisking them without a hand to hold the bowl he was completely frustrated. Steve exited the bathroom at this point to find his best friend giving a rather deadly glare at a bowl of eggs and the unopened package of bacon. A frying pan had been placed on the stove and the veggies next to it. Bucky had done the prep work but without the second hand it would be extremely difficult for him to finish what he started.

Bucky glanced over at Steve as he approached before returning to glaring at the pathetic attempt he had made to get breakfast at least started before his friend had finished his shower. Steve chuckled which earned him a patented 'don't you dare mock me' glare that was very reminiscent of their early days living in a tiny apartment together. Bucky had never been a skilled cook compared to Steve and some of his earliest attempts had be complete disasters.

"I'll whisk the eggs if you watch the bacon on the stove," Steve offered diplomatically. Bucky seemed to hesitate before taking the offer gracefully and moving over to the stove.

"I couldn't get the package open one-handed. Do you mind?" Bucky finally responded as he examined the nobs on the stove to find the correct one for the burner that the pan was on top of. He turned it on and waited for it to heat up while Steve opened the package and handed it to him. As Bucky pulled a few strips of bacon out of the package, Steve flipped a switch that caused a whirring noise to start.

"What is that?" Bucky was now completely confused.

"A vent. It sucks the smoke from the cooking from the air and out of the room. If they didn't do that it would set off a fire alarm and that wouldn't be pleasant, trust me," Steve was smiling as he explained something that he knew was unpleasant to learn from experience because no one had really been around to explain all the advances in the technology of the world since he crashed the Hydra plane into the artic. Bucky nodded his understanding a little uncertainly. His mind supplied what a fire alarm was, at least in theory, since the Winter Soldier had used them several times to flush out his prey. Bucky wasn't sure if the concept was the same but accepted the explanation.

After this bit of conversation the two fell into a comfortable silence as Steve did the prep work while Bucky tended the frying pan. Once the bacon was done, he used the grease from it to fry up the veggies and then poured the egg mixer into the pan too cook. Steve meanwhile put sliced bread into the toaster which caused Bucky to look at him curiously and nearly jump when the toast popped out shortly after. Once the meal was ready they ate silently.

Bucky thought about how it seemed so simple for him to fall back into the routine he had with Steve before the war and realized that he had truly missed this. Due to his dreams a thought came to the forefront of his mind that he felt had to be voiced, "I think that the stuff Hydra did wasn't as effective as they thought it was."

This caused Steve to startle and look at him in confusion, "What do you mean? You aren't saying you are at fault for what happened right? Because you aren't. End of story. You had no control so it wasn't your fault."

"I know. Whatever that Asgardian? Is that what you said? Well, whatever that dame did in my head made it pretty clear that what the Winter Soldier did wasn't in anyway my fault. I feel weird about the whole thing but I think what Hydra did was basically… I don't know how to describe it. It's like they high jacked my body but my mind was still there, just unable to full push through all they did. Thinking back on it I realize there are times where I managed to take at least a little bit of the control back or there would have been more damage done by him.

"Like on the helicarrier, while we were fighting, I know that my brain started thinking for itself again or at least connect back with the part where the memory is stored. It was painful and it sucked but once that happened the Soldier's control slipped and I was able to get a foothold. A real foothold since Hydra didn't get an opportunity to reclaim me after that. I think get the feeling like whenever something truly horrific was going to happen I managed to slow him if not completely stop him," Bucky finished, his eyes pleading Steve to understand what he meant.

"I think I get what you mean. There is this guy I have worked with in the past. His name is Bruce Banner he is a scientist first and foremost. He is insanely smart and he was attempting to recreate the super soldier serum. One of his attempts caused a bit of a mutation in him I guess is the best way to describe it. He now has this who Dr. Jackal and Mr. Hyde thing going only Mr. Hyde is an enormous green beast who can pretty much level a small town in ten minutes, or nearly a small city in a half hour. I will show you the footage some time. Anyways, my point is that the way he describes it is that the more he fights the change when he changes the less he is aware of, but if he willingly changes the Big Guy as Bruce calls him, or the Hulk is what everyone else does, is really quite controlled. He is actually capable of responding to needs and following orders to a certain extent. Bruce always hates using the Big Guy but when we had a big opponent with lots of forces we would basically point him in a direction and let the Beast free so to speak. He took off a while ago though," Steve looked a little sad at this before shaking it off and standing to collect their now cleared plates. "We should get going. Sam told me this morning that Tony and his surprise is supposed to be coming pretty early."

Bucky accepted the shift in conversation realizing Steve may not want to contemplate his best friend being held prisoner in his own body. A brief thought crossed his mind of how that would have been like if their roles were reversed and shuddered at the absolute horror that passed through his body at the thought. While Steve cleaned up, Bucky went to 'his' room and looked through the clothing provided. He quickly settled on a pair of black jeans and a black t-shirt. He didn't really appreciate some of the brighter colored clothing that was mixed in but figured he could address the issue later.

His shirt was a simple bit of maneuvering to change but the jeans, being properly sized to fit snugly, were another story. After a few minutes of using the bed to hold one side up while he tugged the other side up. Once they were up to the appropriate position he quickly zipped the zipper and with a bit more fumbling forced the button through its hole. By the time he was finished Steve head everything cleaned up and was waiting for him.

Bucky blushed slightly in embarrassment, "How long did you say it was going to be until they fixed my arm?" Steve chuckled at the question, earning him another glare.

"Sorry, you just sound so irritated. It reminded me of all the times I pissed you off because I got into another fight with someone twice my size. I guess it depends on how much help they have. Currently they are saying about a week, with the help of that Asgardian lady. If Tony brings the schematics for how the previous one was built that may cut the time down a bit. If Tony helps with rebuilding and upgrading it than it may possibly take even less time. That is unless he goes overboard. If he doesn't that there is no telling how long it will take," Steve responded as they exited the suite.

Steve was holding a book and a tablet in his hands and leading Bucky through what felt like a maze of hallways. He was truly baffled how Steve was navigating the halls until he glanced that the tablet Steve was holding up to look at frequently. The tablet's screen held a map with the halls they were in, a blinking dot that Bucky guessed was them and a green colored line in front of the dot. Bucky shook his head as they were led by the map deeper into the building before Steve finally stopped in front of a door where two rather formidable looking women were posted outside. They both nodded formally to Steve before briefly eyeing Bucky and then opening the door. Inside, several people seemed to be sitting comfortably on sofas and chairs. Two of them were rather pregnant looking women and the rest looked like scientists. Most had out tablets or laptops and ignored them.

"This should keep you occupied while we wait. T'Challa will send some sofas and chairs. Two of them were rather pregnant looking women and the rest looked like scientists. Most had out tablets or laptops and ignored them.

"This should keep you occupied while you wait," Steve stated while handing Bucky the book he had been carrying. "T'Challa will send someone to get you once we are certain Tony isn't making an insane attempt to storm the place. The book has world history from the 1900s through to today. I figured it would be an interesting read for you since you kind of need to catch up on what has been happening while you were… captive."

Bucky glared at Steve once he realized this was literally supposed to be a 'safe room' for people who were unable to fight. It stung a little that Steve was putting him in this place like he was useless. A second part of his brain told him it wasn't because Steve didn't respect him but rather because he didn't trust his other friend Tony to not do something stupid. This thought caused him to relax a little, although his guard was now up as Steve offered an apologetic look before leaving. Bucky sat in an unoccupied seat in front of a desk. He set the book down and began reading at the beginning.

Author's Note: This is only part one of Chapter 4, it was getting really lengthy so I decided to split up. Sorry about the inconsistent posting as well. I was having difficulty with the compatibility of my software with the website. I resolved it though so I should be better about it in the future.


	5. Presents and Apologies Part 2

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Author's Note: This is the second part of chapter 2 because it was getting really long.

Chapter 4: Presents and Apologies part 2

Meanwhile, Steve was once more navigating the elaborate maze of halls designed specifically to make it difficult to find the various 'safe' rooms in the complex. He barely made it out of the maze before his phone pinged telling him he had a message. It was Clint with a 'Where are you?' Steve quickly texted back that he was on his way and would be in the hanger soon. Clint responded that he needed to hurry up because they had just been notified that Tony would be landing in a few minutes.

Steve started jogging through halls toward the hanger and made it there just as the roof was opening, "About damn time you got here. What took so long?" Sam grumbled, shifted the gun he had tucked into his shoe so it was more comfortable.

None of them were taking chances. They could easily put disarm and hand off their weapons if Tony was on the level but they weren't taking risks just in case, "I was getting Bucky to one of those safe rooms. He will be their primary target if they are here for anything other what Tony is claiming. That area is an absolute nightmare to navigate." Steve glanced down at the watch that, if activated, could generate a plasma shield almost instantly. He then took the gun Clint handed him and checked that the safety was on before tucking it into the holster and clipping the holster to the back of his jeans where he could pull it with ease if needed.

Three QuinJets lowered through the roof opening before it closed once more. All of them stood on alert until T'Challa looked at the tablet he held, "There is only one with more than three heat signatures and they don't have nearly the numbers to infiltrate our facility. That area is supposed to be a nightmare to navigate, by that way. We don't want the most defenseless to be easily located and harmed or used as hostages." T'Challa commented casually in his response to Steve's complaint. "They also have hatched that can get them out through secret passages as well if it comes to that."

"I wasn't saying it was a bad idea, just annoying and time consuming," Steve responded as they watched the hatches at the back of the QuinJets lower. Once they were down, Tony came out of the first, dressed casually, followed by a rather uptight looking man in an Air Force uniform. Natasha came out of the second and Sharon Carter came out of the third.

"Hey guy! You miss me?" Tony's behavior caused their guards to drop a little. He didn't look or act as if he was leading an assault and Natasha hadn't really been against them towards the end. Sharon had actually straight up helped them out despite the risk to her own career in the CIA.

"Depends on how you define missed," Sam shot back calmly. Wanda merely glared at Tony which caused him to unconsciously flinch when he looked at her and Clint and Steve kept their expressions blank.

"Ouch, I guess I deserve that though. I admit it. I made a bit of a mess. Then I made an even bigger mess trying to make sure another mess didn't happen again. Kinda backfired on me a bit," Tony stated, hands in the air as if in mock surrender. "Nat gave me an absolute earful when I got my head out of my ass. But I am trying to fix it. Really! I even brought everyone presents."

Wanda's glare was still absolutely withering as he looked at her, his face showing that he really did mean what he said his tone changed to dead serious now, "Guess I will start with you first. Wanda, my dear sweet Wanda. I am so sorry for what happened. I know I will be spending a long time making it up to you. That being said I brought someone who has been extremely eager to see you since he finally woke up."

At these words there was a flash and Wanda's expression was shock as she found herself in her brother Pietro's embrace. Her face softened and she quickly reciprocated the embrace. Tony smiled brightly, knowing that reuniting the siblings would go a long way to rebuild his relationship with the girl he had essentially adopted as a daughter. He then quickly turned to Clint, "As for you, my dear Legolas, I bring some mini people who have been berating me even worse than Nat has." With this he let out a shout that it was ok to come out now. In seconds three small children came out of the second QuinJet screaming 'daddy' followed by Laura holding their youngest, Nathan. Clint didn't even give them the time to reach him, just braking from the rest and going to meet his wife and children. He quickly found himself buried in a pile of affectionate kids and one adult.

Everyone had completely relaxed with the sight of the children. They all knew that there was no way Tony was going to bring kids into a potential firefight. Most of them were distracted and thus missed that an older man had also come out of the QuinJet holding Steve's Shield. He had approached the family and cleared his throat which caused all attention to focus on him. Thus, Thor and Steve stared at him with shock clearly written all over their faces. Clint froze and looked at his long-time friend and former handler, "… Phil?" Clint finally managed to squeak out before extracting himself from his now calmer children.

"Did you miss me?" Phil Coulson asked as he handed Steve's Shield off to another woman who had apparently come off the QuinJet after him and then opening his arms to Clint who was hugging him in seconds.

"You ass. Of course I missed you. What happened? I thought you were dead!" At this part he pulls away and glares at the man as Thor and Steve finally break out of their shock and approach the others.

"I did. I was dead for eight days and then Fury had me resurrected, quite literally. He apparently had this whole elaborate back up plan for if an Avenger was killed and he decided that since he had it he should use it on me. I didn't even know that I have really died for more than less than a minute. Sorry I didn't contact you after I came back. First it was under Fury's orders and then it was not knowing HOW to explain it after SHIELD fell," Phil looked completely apologetic and Clint melted within seconds and was hugging him again. Steve and Thor had gotten close by this point and waited for the hugging to stop, which apparently the kids knew Phil because they had joined in and thus it had become a group hug.

Finally, Tony cleared his throat to regain a semblance of control and continue what he had started. However, the Clint's eldest still clung to Phil and Clint had taken Nathan from his wife to snuggle close.

"Now, if we can continue. This is the last of the people presents but I made a lot of new gadgets and updates to uniforms and gear that we can get to later. Steve, there is one thing I need to give you right now though," Tony looked to the young woman holding the shield who was smiling at Steve gleefully. She quickly approached and handed him the shield. "I had no right to say that you didn't deserve this. My dad probably rolled over in his grave when I demanded it back."

"And my aunt probably attempted to figure out a way to haunt you when you actually did give it back," Sharon added, appearing at Tony's side.

Steve actually chuckled at Sharon's comment, "You're probably right, Peggy would have had my head if she was still alive."

The Air Force General cleared his throat to draw attention to himself and the young woman who had been holding the shield. Phil jumped in at the reminder of their presence, "Oh, right. Captain Rogers, this is General Talbot and Agent Daisy Johnson. The General here is the head of the A.T.C.U. and Agent Johnson is one of the members of the newly re-formed SHIELD. This time there is no Hydra members in it, I promise."

"Yes. Captain, may I say that it is an absolute honor to meet a man who was so instrumental in the downfall of Hydra during WWII and exposing their presence within the old SHIELD more recently. You are truly a national treasure. I'll admit, I was hoping Sargent Barnes would be here as well but hopefully I can meet him later," Talbot looked like he was trying his hardest to contain his excitement but still appear professional. "There is a lot that needs to be discussed about his exoneration and his pardons."

Steve looked a little surprised but Tony shook his head indicating a 'later' with his expression. Steve looked toward Daisy Johnson, who had no problem displaying her excitement to meet him, "I second the whole being and honor to meet you Captain. I mean, you're a legend! I hope we can get to know each other better during our interactions."

"It's a pleasure, General, Agent Johnson," Steve answered politely, confused by their presence but figured Tony would get to that later.

"Ok, so now that introductions are over. Perhaps we can get to business. Is there is somewhere we have talk more comfortably, Your Majesty? This may take a while and I don't think we will want to be standing around in the hanger bay discussing it. It would also require the presence of Sargent Barnes," Talbot seemed to have reigned in him eagerness to meet Steve and was now focusing on why he was there, all without realizing that he was being rude to the King of a country with immense power.

"Of course. I have already alerted my people that James is needed. He will be in a conference room I have already had prepared for your arrival. Clint, if you don't mind, I am sure your children and wife will be much more comfortable in your suite of rooms. Perhaps you can bring them there and then meet us in the conference room?" T'Challa was coldly polite to General Talbot but his tone was much warmer when he addressed Clint. Barton nodded his agreement and led his family off through one of the halls while T'Challa turned and led the rest of those present through another hall. After a few turns they entered a room with a female guard standing outside the door and where Bucky was looking out a window at the scenic view of the jungle.

Bucky turned and looked at the group, his face carefully blank and his posture stiff. Steve immediately went over to him and a whispered conversation occurred before Bucky nodded and went over to the others, Steve on the side with is arm missing.

"Sargent Barnes. It is an absolute honor to meet you. Your endeavors with the Howling Commandos are absolutely legendary. My name is Phil Coulson. I am the Director of the new SHIELD, I promise we have no Hydra among our ranks this time around and will do our best to ensure that none ever manage to infiltrate us as well," Coulson rambled a little which caused Natasha and Steve to smile indulgently remembering the first time he had met Steve he had been exactly the same. Talbot looked slightly disappointed that Coulson had beaten him to the punch. "This is Brigadier General Talbot, head of the A.T.C.U. and Agent Daisy Johnson."

Talbot came forward quickly and offered his hand eagerly to shake Bucky's hand. Bucky took it briefly before he quickly let go. Talbot didn't seem to notice at all, "I am here as a representative for both the U.S. government and the UN to present the terms for pardons involving all… incidents while you were under Hydra's mind control. Of course, we all realize that you had no control over the situation and thus can't be reasonably held responsible for what occurred but they felt it would be best to have everything cleared up."

Tony came up beside the general and glared at him, "Perhaps, General we can discuss this once everyone is seated and comfortable?"

Talbot looked startled but moved off and took a seat next to Coulson while Agent Johnson sat on Coulson's other side. Tony turned to Steve and Bucky, looking truly apologetic, "This is my way of apologizing for what happened in Siberia. It took a lot of strings pulled, favors called in and arguments made along with a few bribes but I got pretty much everyone in the UN and a good chunk of Supreme Court Judges to take our side on the matter. It is going to be a full pardon on all actions while under Hydra's control as well as the obvious exoneration for what happened in the UN bombing since Barnes was actually innocent in the matter."

"Thank you Tony. That does mean a lot," Steve responded seriously.

"Don't thank me yet, the pardon comes with some pretty uncomfortable conditions. I will let Talbot explain. Plus, I got them to rework the Sokovia Accords so it is less us dancing puppets, them our puppet masters and more the Avengers being an international emergency response group for major incidents involving extreme circumstances. It is much friendlier now, I promise. Even you guys should have no objections. Plus, they are actually giving us time to review everything and ask questions and specify what you are and aren't willing to do rather than just saying submit or retire," Tony finished. Steve didn't look to happy but he decided to hear out everything this time rather than jumping the gun this time.

"We'll see," Steve offered diplomatically before everyone sat down.

Author's Note: Yay! Coulson is here! Who doesn't love Coulson?!


	6. Pardons and Conditions

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter 5: Pardons and Conditions.

Talbot had been holding a brief case the since his arrival. Once Clint arrived and everyone was seated in the conference room, he opened it and started handing out booklets to all the Avengers. The front was the wording 'Sokovia Accords: Revise'. The booklets weren't even a fourth the size of the one that Secretary Ross had dropped in front of them originally. This caused the half who had originally objected to the Accords all relaxed a little at how much smaller it was as it meant there would be less conditions that the insane amount that had been initially laid out.

"Now, I'm sure that you noticed that these booklets are a lot smaller. This is mostly because they are focusing on more powered individuals rather than people involved government organizations. The truth is that your group wasn't the only one with major issues pertaining to what does and doesn't violate basic human rights. Also, it became apparent when the whole of the original Accords were actually reviewed by several different government heads that some more dubious groups had put stipulations in there that were completely insane. Russia actually was trying to demand the extradition of Natasha Romanoff in their little bit.

"Needless to say, with Mr. Stark's recommendations, the regulations have been slimmed down quite a bit and are far more reasonable. Also, Russia was told that Miss Romanoff is a human being and as we didn't condone human trafficking they would have to drop their pathetic attempt to reclaim her. They did express some choice words about that but since everyone else was against it they had to give that idea up. Secretary Ross also is under investigations at present for trying the same in terms of both Dr. Banner and Captain Rogers. Apparently, he was under the deranged belief that the two of them, as products of government experimentation, actually belonged to the government and needed to be turned over for study," Talbot looked absolutely appalled by the idea of it. "The original Accords were actually riddled with those kinds of thing. It was like people decided to collectively not actually read the damned thing."

"It sounds like too many politicians were trying too hard to use the Accords for their own agendas without caring about the cost," Steve stated carefully as he gave a meaningful look.

"Yes, well, this is a much cleaner and reasonable version. No human possessions or anything insane like that," Tony responded, squirming uncomfortably under Steve's look. "And it clearly did bare a closer look than the simple surface that it was presented at. I had several of my lawyers comb through these rather diligently to make sure there are no unreasonable expectations. Plus, they are actually giving us a full six months to review, assess, give feedback, alter anything that doesn't work and sign them before they are placed in effect."

"You mean rather than having them dropped in front of us without any warning demanding we sign or stop saving the world and making most of essentially slaves to one country or another by a man who had a very big agenda and self-serving motive to back us all into a corner?" Sam responded, irritation in his voice.

"Ok, so maybe I had allowed myself to become a little emotionally compromised by the guilt I felt from being the cause of Ultron and the recklessness that had brought it about. I admit, I should have had my lawyers review the damned thing in full before jumping on the 'regulation is necessary' bandwagon. As it turns out, the damned thing violated the Geneva Convention for crying out loud. We all know that I don't think anyone belongs to any government. Hell, I fought the senate on who deserves the rights to my Iron Man suits already, and yes, Ross put that in there as well, 'All Iron Man suits and products derived from the technology become US property'," Tony looked truly apologetic and pissed before it turning into a quick grin. "Of course, since pretty much no one read the entirety of the thing, he didn't realize it also gave those same rights to China, Japan, England and France. My Lawyers said that the damned thing was so riddled with stupid shit like that that it made itself void in the process."

"Ok, guys. I hate to break up the petty squabbling, but we are all getting a little off topic here," Daisy interjected, trying to get them to actually get to the point.

"Right, thank you Agent Johnson. As Mr. Stark said, you will have six months to review and determine which portions you are willing to be a part of and what portions you want nothing to do with. Think of this as a long term employment contract for different aspects of saving the world. Of course, if at any point you have a valid reason for retracting your agreement to a certain portion it can be presented and you can remove yourself from that portion of the agreement. No one will be a slave to any government. This does however mean that there will also be conditions that none of you will be able to act as spies either since this could be used to give leverage towards the country you are working for or against. In short, you will be recognized as an official international organization specifically tasked for protecting the world from global catastrophes," Talbot was a bit long winded but made his point. "Director Coulson, Agent Johnson and I will be here for the next few weeks to answer any questions you may have while we are working with Sargent Barnes on the specifics of his pardons and exoneration."

"So that's it? We're done now?" Wanda asked as she looked around. She had expected the meeting to last more than a half hour.

"For now. We have also been tasked with learning all the specifics of the incidents involving everyone's… diverse reactions to the original Accords. That is where I come in. I am going to be having interviews with all of you so that we have all the details properly recorded. We are hoping that by illustrating exactly what happens when you try to gain the upper hand we can get the few remaining holdouts against the newer version of the Accords to agree to the much more reasonable terms," Agent Johnson responded with a friendly smile. "I can understand better than most why some of what happened did occur so you can be perfectly comfortable with relating all of the particulars to me."

"How would you be able to get any of what we dealt with?" Bucky finally spoke, not hostile but perhaps a bit irritated by the assumption.

"I'm an Inhuman. Actually, it was my transformation that brought the existence of Inhumans into the light. I can create a matching frequency to everything that exists. You could say it was more than a little bit of a mess for me to transition from a normal person to a powered person and my parents weren't really any help. My mother wanted to kill off all non Inhumans on the planet and my dad was more than a little crazy," Johnson responded calmly, as if it didn't faze her at all that she had a difficult transition.

"Oh…" was all Bucky could say.

"Anyways, I will find you when it is your turn, starting tomorrow so I recommend everyone getting their stories straight," Johnson teased before sitting back down.

"We are all done now, promise. Well, with everyone except Sargent Barnes," Coulson spoke dismissively. "Stark, why don't you show everyone the new toys your brought them."

"With pleasure," Tony stood followed by everyone but Coulson, Johnson, Talbot, Steve and Bucky. "Now, with what happened to our fleet footed friend here during the Ultron incident…"

Tony's voice faded as the door closed behind most of the Avengers. Bucky had tensed up quite a bit once the attention was all focused on him. Talbot, Johnson and Coulson changed their seats so they were sitting directly across from Steve and Bucky. Coulson opened the brief case he had brought with him and pulled out some stacks of papers and a binder.

"Now, Sargent Barnes, I just wanted to just start this off by saying that no one in this room right now holds you accountable for anything that occurred while you were under the mind control of Hydra. You are first and foremost a victim of that dreadful organization," Talbot started off, his voice now much softer and less professional. "You are a true hero."

"Ok…" Bucky responded both skeptically and hesitantly.

"After a lot of discussion between the US judiciary courts, Mr. Stark's lawyers and the President, we came up with some reasonable conditions to make it appear to the world that the appropriate actions have been taken in regards to your extremely unusual situation," Johnson stated, more professionally than Talbot. "They are all very simple to apply and understandable given the circumstances. Firstly, according to Mr. Stark, an Asgardian named Eir has restored all of your memories and completely removed the conditioning used for controlling you is that correct?"

"As far as I know, yeah. I mean no one has tested it but, my mind is definitely clearer and I can remember everything that has occurred whenever I was conscious in the last 80 years or so," Bucky figured he would just go with whatever was going on as long as it was going in his favor.

"Excellent. Would you will be willing to preforming a test to ensure the programing is gone? It would be in a controlled environment and no one would be placed in any danger, I assure you," Talbot asked as Johnson typed something into a tablet that had come out of Coulson's briefcase.

"What would this 'test' entail?" Steve asked before Bucky could.

"Sargent Barnes being placed in a sealed room and Ms. Romanoff speaking the words intending for triggering the programing. If Sargent Barnes is unaffected he gets a pass and the first condition is met for the pardons," Johnson answered quickly.

"That sounds reasonable. If for some reason they didn't fix everything you guys can easily just knock the Soldier out and that Asgardian lady can find whatever she missed," Bucky said, giving his agreement to the plan. "When do you want to do it?"

"I am sure we can talk to King T'Challa and he can arrange a room to be set up within the next few days. The second requirement is going to be a little more uncomfortable I am afraid. The Judges want a complete list of all the… ah… assignments that Hydra and any affiliated group had you preform," Johnson paused at the phrasing of the wording for the conditions. "Damn, these people had no tact at all when writing this list."

"So you need to know who they made me kill and how it was done?" Bucky asked, his voice carefully controlled.

"Yes, as well as any other activities they had made use of your controlled state for," Talbot answered honestly, seeing no other way around it. "They also were hoping for the information on any form of intelligence or criminal activity that was performed in your presence or on your person. We do understand that this will be a much more… difficult requirement for you to meet. Again, you have our complete assurance that none of us blame you for what occurred while Hydra controlled you."

"I can do that. Do you want it to be a written or verbal account? A written account could take a while if that is what you need. I'm left handed and I am still waiting for the replacement hand," Bucky's voice had taken on a sardonic tone.

"I will be happy to type up the complete statement for you while you dictate everything. You can sign the statement when they are finished fixing up your arm," Johnson responded, once more smiling. "Again, you have no worries about me being judgmental. I've done some pretty screwed up things without anyone controlling me. You're probably less guilty of some crimes willingly committed than I am. Before joining SHIELD, I was a very skilled hacker for a group that didn't care who they hurt in their mission for 'freedom of information."

Talbot actively frowned and glared at the young woman while Coulson rolled his eyes as if he knew that fact better than most. Bucky finally nodded his agreement to the plan prompting Talbot to move on, "The third condition is providing testimony against Alexander Pierce in his trial that begins in two months. Your testimony would be a real nail in the coffin for him. The U.S. D.A. really wants to make sure Pierce is put in solitary confinement for his remaining life span, however long that may be. Plus, it will have the side bonus for you getting your slice of justice for his part in your prolonged enslavement."

"Yeah, absolutely. I have no issue with that," Bucky nodded more than willingly this time. He had felt a lot of rage towards Pierce while he was still trying to recover his memories and was happy to assist in making the man pay for what he did. "I will be happy to do that one."

"Good to hear," Talbot smiled happily at Bucky's response before turning serious again. "Now, you may not particularly like this one but it is necessary for there to be no hiccups in the trial. The forth condition is two months of mandatory bi weekly sessions with a therapist. The man who was selected to do the therapy is Dr. Leonard Samson. He is the leading expert on the understanding and treatment of people suffering with PTSD. The US DA thought that he would be a good choice given the circumstances. After the mandatory two months it will be optional for you on whether or not you continue the sessions but just so you know Mr. Stark has offered to pay whatever fees are necessary should you choose to continue them."

"Ok, two months isn't too bad. I take it that whatever I talk to him about is going to end up a part of the trial," Bucky asked cautiously.

"Only what is relevant specifically to the case. He will be called on as a character witness to prove your credibility. No specifics will be released, just his professional opinion on how your experiences under Hydra's control affected you and that you are mentally sound," Coulson finally spoke up for the first time since the discussion started.

"Ok, I can handle that," Bucky was uncertain but willing to give it a try. "Can others be there too?"

"Only those that you want," Coulson assured him.

"All right. Anything else?"

"Just one more condition. The fifth is that for the next six months any time that you are outside of either Stark Tower or the Avengers facility or a third, personally chosen residence, you are required to be escorted by one of the Avengers. In the instance that you should chose to have a personal residence, you would be required to have one of the Avengers living with you. This is a security thing. They want to make sure you aren't going to snap and go crazy. It is stupid, believe me, I know but they want to prove that you are fully worth trusting and safe for society at large. Mr. Stark had a battle to get them to substitute this for the even more ridiculous requirement that you have to sign and can't object or decline from participating in any portion of the Accords for the next 10 years. Six months is a lot less painful then the alternative. Especially given that the Avengers are a rather easy on the eyes bunch to be around," Johnson finished off with a light tease to ease the tension that was clear in both Bucky and Steve at this point.

"Just six months? There won't be any requirements after that?" Bucky asked stiffly.

"Just six months. The exoneration is already in place since you are obviously innocent of the UN bombing but the pardons are temporary until the six months are up. After that they become final, if you wanted you could change your name to John Smith, move to Where ever, Kansas and become a banker if you wanted. Not that you would want that… Unless that is what you want and then…" Johnson had started to ramble at the last bit.

Coulson interrupted the rambling with a long suffering tone, "Daisy… I think they get the idea."

"Yeah, I do. I can live with six months of no privacy and being treated like a kid I guess. I've lived like that for almost 80 years anyways, what is six months more, right?" Bucky tried to laugh his discomfort off.

"Alright then. That is everything. I guess I will go talk to King T'Challa about a room for that little test tomorrow and after that I am sure you can work out when you will get your full statement down with Agent Johnson. I will also see Stark about having Dr. Samson flown over so we can get you started on those sessions," Talbot stood and offered his hand for both Bucky and Steve to both shake. "I look forward to hearing about your future exploits and I hope that they only need to get as exciting as apartment or house hunting."

"So, once we get the stupid test out of the way tomorrow. I can have everything set up so we can get started on your statement. If we go straight from the beginning all the way through the Accords incidents it will probably just say time. Plus, I am sure the others will be glad to have another day's reprieve from giving their statements. Oh, and you guys can all call me Daisy, I am going to be around for the next few weeks while we sort stuff out so there is no need for formalities," Daisy smiled as she started putting the paperwork back into the brief case. Then Daisy followed General Talbot's lead and left the two there with Coulson figuring what he had planned she smirked a little.

"I know this is a little weird, but could I get you guys to sign my collection? Cap, you did kinda promise before I died. Director Fury replaced the ones he stained with blood and got some more to add to my collection as an apology…" Coulson looked so hopeful that Bucky burst out laughing.

"What the hell, why not? Though, I have to admit that this is the first time we both got asked for autographs," Bucky said once he calmed and pulled the binder over to himself. "Do you want all of them signed or just a specific one?"

"I was actually hoping you would sign the picture on the front. It is a collector's edition copy of the two of you during your campaign," Coulson wore an ecstatic grin on his face now as he pulled out a permanent marker and handed it over to them.

"My signature's gonna be a little weird since I don't usually write with my right hand, do you mind or you wanna wait until they get my left arm fixed up?" Bucky asked holding the marker with the cap still on.

"It is more sentimental then anything so I don't really care if it isn't your usual. I know you are the one signing it and that is what's really important. My first name's Phil by the way," Coulson's grin had turned absolutely goofy now that he was alone with his biggest heroes. He didn't now Daisy had stuck around in the entrance to the room and caught a picture and sent it to the rest of the people on the base, captioning it 'Coulson's greatest fantasy lived out' before leaving for real. Steve signed the picture after Bucky finished and handed both the binder and marker back to Phil.


	7. Inner Turmoil

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Author's Note: I just wanted to thank my readers for some lovely reviews. It is nice to know that you are enjoying both my plot and writing style.

Warning: This chapter contains some emotionally painful moments and possible PTSD triggers. It also has some light hearted humor and realizations of futility to offset this.

Chapter 6: Inner Turmoil

Bucky was beginning to feel stressed after the meeting with Talbot, Coulson and Daisy due to it bringing so many different memories close to the surface at once. Steve had noticed this and rather than bringing Bucky to join the others for whatever Tony had brought as 'presents' he opted to bring Bucky back to their suite so that he could unwind a little.

"Are you sure I shouldn't come? I mean I am like 80% at fault for the fighting in the first place," Bucky asked, though his heart wasn't in it at all.

"It's fine Bucky. You just rest for a bit. I will come get you when it is time for lunch and you can get to know everyone then. You haven't even been awake for a full day yet. Take it slow," Steve pointed out. He also wanted Bucky to have some alone time. His friend had been glued to his side essentially as long as he was awake and for a good portion of his sleep as well. It was a big difference from the extremely independent Bucky he had known before the war.

"Ok. Don't start any more fights though. I can't really cover your back with one arm," Bucky was only half joking as he said it but he noticed the flash of discomfort that showed in Steve's eyes before it quickly disappeared.

"Tony is the only one I really clash with and he is kinda working to get back into everyone's good graces so I think we are safe for now," Steve responded before leaving Bucky to rest.

Once the door closed, Bucky headed to 'his room' and tightly shut and locked the door before sinking against it. His mind started to flash with different clashing and disturbing memories. The sudden expectation to have to give a statement about everything that had happened had brought forth all the memories. Where they had been carefully laid out and organized by the Asgardian healer before, they now were bombarding his mind in almost pure chaos. The calm he had felt for most of the time he was awake the previous day and this morning dissolved and Bucky felt several emotions fighting violently for control.

Eventually, rage over everything won out and he began to tear his room apart as best he could with only one hand. A half hour of this resulted in an absolute disaster. The dresser was tipped over, the clothing within falling out. The bedding had been torn from the mattress and thrown all about the room. The mattress itself had been pulled off the frame and thrown against the wall. The lamp and bedside table were toppled, the lamp itself smashed. There were even two holes in the wall where he had punched it.

Once the raging was finished, the despair that he was beyond repair took its place. He had left his destroyed room at this point and carefully shut the door behind him, not wanting Steve to see what he had done. He then went into Steve's room and laid down on his bed. Bucky hugged the pillow Steve had been sleeping on the night before close to his chest and began sobbing uncontrollably. Eventually, this led to him falling asleep, curled tightly around the pillow.

Meanwhile, with Steve and the others, T'Challa had had the people who unloaded the QuinJets put all the things Tony had brought as 'presents' into the gym of the facility as there was a high probability of various people wanting to test out the new gear that had been made. Tony had even gift wrapped everything, everyone's presents given their own 'theme'. When Steve arrived he noticed everyone was sitting in a big circle, with all the unopened presents in a pile in the middle, Tony standing in front of it. Even Talbot, Coulson, Sharon, Daisy and all of Clint's kids and wife were sitting in the circle around Tony for some reason.

"Capsicle! Where is your boyfriend? We can't do the real presents until everyone is here," Tony shouted once he arrived, Sam having texted him where everyone was.

"Bucky was a little overwhelmed by everything. He's resting right now. You can give him his later when I go to get him for lunch," Steve responded before taking a seat in the circle between Sam and Clint's one-year-old son Nathan. "Hey, Callum, Lewis, Nicole, Nathan, you guys getting presents too?"

"Yep," Clint responded from the other side of them for his kids who were in too much awe of Steve to respond themselves. "Tony owes them for making it so that I could come home for a long time."

Steve chuckled a little before turning back to Tony who was holding the first of a very large stack of presents, "I guess, if you think it is best. His are mostly designs for a new arm anyway… Well… that and some things we really shouldn't have around small children so it is probably for the best." With this Tony handed the first present to Natasha before grabbing another and another making sure everyone was holding something before letting people open them.

Pietro, Clint and Natasha found new uniforms made from a weird cloth in their boxes. Steve's first box held the complete Star Wars saga and all the Star Trek series and movies, original and reboot included. Sam was holding what looked like a state of the art gun cleaning kit. Wanda was holding a weird looking crystal and a booklet that Steve couldn't tell what it was about. Vision held a book on human etiquette throughout the ages. Coulson, Talbot and Laura all refused to show what was in their boxes, but guessing from the blushes on their faces it was embarrassing for them. Daisy and Sharon were looking at the fancy looking necklace and earrings with absolute confusion as to why anyone would give those to them until Tony explained that it had embedded recording capabilities. Both women smirked, having amble uses for such types of jewelry and carefully stowed them away. Clint's kids all got the latest in hand held gaming systems. T'Challa also refused to show what he receives but if he was embarrassed it didn't show.

This continued for a full hour, sometimes people blushing and refusing to show what was in the boxes and sometimes showing off new gadgets or uniforms that Tony still hadn't explained his reasoning for. Once all the presents besides the ones for Bucky were opened, Laura took her children and their new games and toys back to the suite assigned to the Barton family before Tony would talk about the uniforms.

"Ok, so, now that the children and spouse who could be traumatized have left I will explain the uniforms. General, Coulson, I am mainly doing this in front of you so that you will look to me for your future outfitting requirements for special missions. This is a new synthetic poly-carbonate cloth that I upgraded from a previous design that Stark Industries had been working on before we discontinued all war related projects. It is light weight, water-resistant, can withstand temperatures of up to 600o F without the person wearing it from feeling the effects and most importantly, it is 100% bullet proof. My point being someone could throw a grenade at you, have it explode against your chest and you MIGHT get a bruise. The kind of injuries Pietro got during the whole Ultron fiasco? A thing of the past. I have been working this since that mess and it is finally ready. It is also comfortable to wear and can be made into pretty much anything. Undershirts for suits, ladies' dresses, the under clothing for my armor, all your uniforms, it is extremely versatile," Tony finished and finally sat in the gap left by the Barton children's exit.

They all sat for several minutes, each examining and thinking before Wanda spoke, "Thank you Tony. It is nice of you to have taken our safety so seriously. That being said, what is this?" Wanda held up what looked like a weird head band.

"It is for your head. In part to help keep your hair out of the way and in part to keep your pretty little head intact. Plus, doesn't it really bring the whole outfit together?" Tony responded, smiling.

"I suggest you keep yourself to designing new suits for yourself and leave fashion to someone who actually knows what they are doing. I can keep my head safe as it is," Wanda shot back, her voice completely serious before using her magic to tear the headdress to shreds. This caused Tony to pout but he got over it fairly quickly.

"Well, now that that is over, Capsicle, may we bring your boyfriend his presents?" Tony smiled his best attempt at a charming smile.

"He isn't my boyfriend and I guess. It is getting close to lunch anyways," Steve blushed lightly at the boyfriend bit but moved on quickly.

" _Sure,_ you go and infiltrate Nazi prisoner camps singlehandedly for shits and giggles. I _totally believe that_ ," Tony's words brought out an even deeper blush on Steve's face and had a few of his teammates wondering why. Sharon was reevaluating her decision to have come at all after that deep a blush.

"He has been my best friend since we were kids," Steve finally responded picking up some of the boxes intended for Bucky and leaving with them.

"Yeah. Cap, you do realize you can be someone's best friend and still hold something much deeper than that right?" Tony collected the rest of the boxes and followed Steve.

"Ok, did anyone else catch that blush? Is Captain Rogers _GAY FOR BUCKY BARNES?!_ " Daisy asked rather loudly once the Tony and Steve were gone.

"Well that would explain why my attempts to find him a girlfriend were all epic failures. Of course, now that I think about it, I have never really noticed him checking me out like every guy but Clint and Phil," Natasha reasoned looking like she had just finished putting a very complex puzzle together.

Phil himself was sporting a rather curious expression that Daisy had to snap another picture of him, this one captioned 'Coulson realizing Steve/Bucky may actually be a thing' and sending it to the rest of the team. Talbot also wore a similar expression so she got one of him too and then one of Sam and Clint wearing looks of pure shock as if they just realized something so painfully obvious that TONY had realized it before them. Wanda and Vision shrugged but didn't comment which made Daisy even more suspicious of why they were acting like it wasn't a surprise at all. Pietro looked confused, which considering that he had had very little interaction with anyone who wasn't Wanda wasn't that surprising. After the fifth picture Daisy had sent via mass message May texted back saying they didn't need play-by-play of everything that happened while she was with the Avengers. Mack then immediately texted as well contradicting May and demanding more details as she collected them.

Tony and Steve made their way quickly through the halls, Steve now actively ignoring Tony who was making a rather valid and unsettling argument on why Steve was clearly in love with Bucky. When they reached the door Steve actively glared at Tony which finally shut him up, much to Steve's relief. Tony, carrying less, opened the door and they set the boxes down on the breakfast bar, Steve looking around to see if Bucky was in the Living room area or terrace. Once it was clear he wasn't Steve walked over and peaked into Bucky's room, only opening the door a little and turning on the light only to rapidly turn it off and pull his head out. Steve was concerned by what he had said and his face showed it but he didn't speak as he went over to his room and turning on the light there found his friend tossing about rather violently in his sleep. He closed the door quietly before returning to Tony at the bar area.

"Bucky's asleep right now. Lunch is in a half hour. Why don't you go on ahead and we will meet you there when it's time to eat? Bucky is always a bit grumpy when he just wakes up. We can do the whole present thing after, yeah?" Steve's voice made it clear he was avoiding something he didn't want Tony to know.

"He got overwhelmed didn't he? It's ok. I get it. We can do presents whenever he's up for it. No pressure," Tony responded quickly, realizing exactly what Steve was trying to keep him from knowing. "It happens. He has been through a lot. I'll go and let the others know."

Tony's quick exit both relieved and worried Steve. Relief because Steve didn't need to push him to get out but worried because Tony seemed to understand exactly what was going on and that was only possible if Tony had also been there at some point. Steve eventually just shrugged it off, knowing that Tony wouldn't want to talk about it if he had been there and thus there was nothing he could do. He could focus on helping his friend though, since Bucky did seem to want it, much to Steve's surprise.

When he re-entered the room he noticed that Bucky seemed to be almost fighting the pillow he clung to and so he decided to approach his friend slowly much like he had the night before. Once he got to Bucky, he carefully lowered himself and inched slowly closer to him. Steve carefully eased the pillow from Bucky's grip resulting in Bucky attaching his only arm to Steve instead. He was careful to keep his breathing even as he slowly eased Bucky's head and then torso into his lap. Bucky had calmed in his sleep once he was attached to Steve rather firmly. Steve then began running his hand through Bucky's sweat soaked hair and whispering soothing nonsense to him. As with the night before, a few minutes of this resulted in Bucky waking and slowly becoming aware.

"Steve? What are you doing here? Weren't you with the others?" Bucky asked as he pulled away from him rather reluctantly.

Steve let Bucky pull away but grabbed and began examining Bucky's bloody knuckles, "We finished. Tony wanted to give you the stuff he made or bought for you but I made him wait until after lunch. You think you will be up to it?"

Bucky blushed, in part because Steve was holding his hand was weird, and he actively told himself it wasn't a 'good kind of weird' without really believing it. The second part was that if Steve was asking if he could handle it, that meant he had seen Bucky's room. He thought for a moment before realizing that whatever the Asgardian had done was once more in control and he felt much calmer and more stable, "Yeah. I think I can handle that. The… ah… the… a lot of memories surfaced at once because of the meeting about the pardons. Sorry about the mess." He offered lamely at last.

"It's ok. T'Challa was actually expecting something like that to happen. He said he was putting either super sturdy stuff or stuff so cheap that it would be nothing to replace in there. I didn't get a really good look because I needed to kick out Tony, but we can tell T'Challa what needs fixing or replacing later," Steve was trying to be comforting. "Next time though, maybe you should just have a go at a punching bag. I can brace it for you and you can just beat the shit out of it without any worries. Now, come on. Let's get your hand cleaned up before lunch."

Bucky nodded again and followed Steve into the bathroom where he pulled out a first aid kit, showing T'Challa really HAD expected and planned for that very thing to happen. Steve expertly cleaned and bandaged Bucky's hand lightly. Both knew that it would be healed fully by the next day and thus that was the last they thought on the injury.

Author's note: For those who haven't watched SHIELD, May and Mack are pretty main characters, though they will only be getting brief mentions while Coulson, Daisy and Talbot are with the Avengers.


	8. Echoes of the Past

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter 7: Echoes of the Past

Tony got Clint to text him directions from Steve and Bucky's suite to the private dining hall that, when Tony actually followed them, led him in a big circle before bringing him to a room just down the hall from the suite of rooms he had left. Tony glared at Clint and then Sam who had joined in the laughter before the rest present were chuckling as well. Once they finally calmed down Sam explained that this floor was for guest accommodations and thus was much more straightforward then the other floors which could be labyrinths depending on the security required for them.

"Now, if you are done being mean to me, I think Steve and Bucky are totally sleeping together," Tony commented as he took a seat next to Vision and a few empty seats. "When we went to bring the presents Steve actually checked both bedrooms before he told me that Bucky was asleep and we could do the presents later."

"How does that factor to them sleeping together?" Daisy asked, looking annoyed at the assumption. "How do you know that it wasn't just Bucky being in an unfamiliar place and super tired and went into which ever room without thinking about it. They were playing with his brain a lot and it did only just get straightened out."

"You saying that you don't think Cap is gay for Barnes even after all the blushing he did?" Tony shot back. "He has been in the current century and around me long enough that gay jokes don't really faze him."

"I didn't say that he wasn't gay for Barnes, I just think you are jumping to conclusions on how far they have gone. Bucky has only been awake for a day," Daisy made her point before turning as Coulson and Talbot came into the room dressed more casually than before, following T'Challa. "Hey, AC, don't forget after this we have to start with scanning and translating all those Siberian files that Stark brought with him. If we tag team it and get a few volunteers, we can probably get them all scanned into the system."

"Those files are in Russian right? That is going to be a pain to translate to English. I can help with that if you need, though Nat would likely be a better option," Clint offered before glancing towards his wife and children. "Tomorrow, I can help tomorrow. Today is Laura and the kids."

"I can't help today. I'm leaving to get Dr. Samson for the pardon conditions after this. I won't be back until late tonight," Natasha responded.

"I'll help. I just have to run the papers through the scanner right? Can't be that hard. I have nothing else today anyways. No one has had time to even read the damned Accords so I have no questions to answer," Talbot offered, trying to feel useful.

"I'll help too. What kind of tech did you bring with you for the scanning process? I would have done it all myself but I was busy making stuff for this ungrateful bunch," Tony offered, his voice teasing.

"Actually, do you have anything that can convert VHS to digital? I have a bunch of scanners but I didn't think there would be so many VHS. I mean, who uses VHS anymore? Anyways, yeah, if you are offering that is what I could really use from you," Daisy remarked. "The scanning is just running the paper through a machine. Anyone can do that."

Tony pulled out his phone and tapped at it for a few minutes while Daisy tried to recruit others to assist with scanning the massive amounts of paperwork into her system. When he finished he put the phone away and Daisy had only convinced Sam to join in their operation, "Miss Daisy, F.R.I.D.A.Y. will have what we need waiting at Stark Tower. Samson is going to be there anyways for the pick up so we can kill two birds with one stone when Nat goes to get him she can grab that too."

"Great. You going to help us with the scanning?" Coulson asked, now sitting on the other side of Tony. There were only two empty seats left and they were between Coulson and Talbot. Tony smirked but didn't remark on it.

"I don't really do boring. I will probably join the team working on making a new arm for Barnes. I found the schematics for all the different designs they had him go through so I should be able to help make sure that what is made is compatible with what is already there in terms of hooking it up," He quickly made an excuse to avoid what would surely be hours of small talk.

Once Steve and Bucky joined them, they took the two empty seats between Talbot and Coulson, both of whom were more than happy with the situation. Once they had arrived, wait staff entered carrying in food and the conversation drifted to several topics. Bucky and Steve both offer to help with the scanning as they had no plans for the afternoon and it was a low stress task. The meal passed quickly and they all parted ways. Thor, Eir, Tony and Scott Lange (Ant-Man in case you forgot) headed to the engineering department to work on the arm for Bucky, now that there was more information of what had been there before it would be simpler to create a new one.

T'Challa went to deal with the business of running a country, Clint went with his wife and Kids to catch up on all he had missed while away. Natasha left to retrieve Dr. Samson and the VHS converter that she was pretty sure would have counted as a fortune to obtain so quickly for anyone but Tony. The rest filed into the suite that had been assigned to Daisy. During the lunch she had asked for a bunch of tables which were in the suite already. She made quick work of pulling a bunch of laptops from a case that had come with her and from another came the scanners. Daisy arranged all the laptops facing one way and the scanners the other way. All the seats were on the side with the scanners rather than the laptops. Once she finished, she pulled over the first box of files and handed them out by stacks of folders.

"Ok, this is how it is going to work. Each of you are going to run each page of a folder through the scanners. When you finish a folder, run the folder itself through and then let me know. I will then create a file for them to go into. Then you move onto the next folder. It's very simple. We want to work as quickly as possible, thus the set up," Daisy stated, very to the point. She didn't bother telling them that once they were in a file they would automatically be entered into a new translation program she had developed to help with situations like this. With luck, they could actually start reviewing all the information available.

Everyone in the 'scanning' group was talking as they worked through all the folders. It took only 15 minutes for the first box of files to be scanned into the computer, much to Daisy's relief. By the time dinner was an hour off, according to the person who had come by to inform them, all of them were covered in dust from all the decades old files. They had also finished scanning all of the boxes that weren't VHS. Daisy was a little irritated at the laptops and scanners that had had some difficulties with not overheating because of all the activity but had resolved the issue by lowering the room temperature.

"Well, what next, how are you planning on getting all of this translated from gibberish to English? I can tell you now that I can't read Russian nor can most of the others who have already volunteered for the oversight committee. I know you can't either," Talbot asked as they all started stretching and brushing off what they could of the dust.

"I took a bunch of Rosetta Stone programs for different languages and turned them into a universal translator, or at least a prototype for a universal translator. It is still getting caught on a little hiccup of telling the difference between Mandarin and Cantonese," Daisy responded. "It works fine with Russian though, so no problems there. I already have the systems running the files through it and naming the files based on what was written on folders. At the rate they were going, if I leave them running all night we should have plenty ready for you to sort through in the morning. It may take another couple of days for it to finish all the files though."

"Better hope the stuff it finishes first is going to be interesting, Talbot. I wouldn't want to be you, reading through a bunch of budgeting paperwork," Coulson stated, grimacing at the dust he couldn't get off. "I need a shower."

"We all do. I guess we should get to it before dinner," Steve remarked. He and the others all exited Daisy's suite while she checked over the operations of her translation programs.

When Steve and Bucky reached their suite, Bucky reluctantly went into his room for clothing only to find the earlier mess had been cleaned up and the holes in the wall patched and painted over. The bed had also been replaced with one like Steve's. He shrugged and opened the drawers of the dresser, grabbing a change of clothing. He quickly found that Steve was already in the shower but it was only a few minutes before he came out, his hair still wet and only a towel around his waist.

"Oh, let me pull the bandage off your hand, it should be healed enough by now anyways," Steve offered, not noticing that Bucky had frozen at the sight of his perfectly sculpted and mostly nude friend. Bucky remained frozen while Steve came just a little too close and unwrapped his hand before exiting his personal space and throwing out the bandage in the trash. Only then did Steve noticed that Bucky hadn't moved from the spot he was in when Steve had come out of the bathroom. "You ok Buck?"

The concern snapped Bucky out of his shocked state and he finally turned to look, not where Steve had been but where was now. That was went he noticed the boxes and took those as a good way to deflect the conversation, "Yeah, just lost in thought for a second. What's in the boxes?"

"Oh, those are Tony's apology gifts for you. Well, some are for you, some are mine that I haven't put away yet," Steve answered, glancing at them. "I should get dressed. If Tony can be pulled out of working on your new arm he will likely be headed here to deal with the presents. I think he got a little excited about the arm and forgot after lunch."

Bucky nodded before heading to the bathroom for his shower while Steve went to his room to dress. By the time Bucky had finished with the battle of getting undressed, showered and redressed, Tony had arrived and was waiting when he came out. The man was practically bouncing in his seat and got up altogether when he saw Bucky.

"Ok, so I know we got off on a really bad foot last time we met but my dad would probably figure out a way to haunt me and torment me for the rest of my days if I didn't make things right," Tony began as he put the breakfast bar between himself and Bucky. "Since I don't do real apologies, especially to people I don't know, I just got a bunch of stuff to make up for trying to kill you."

Steve looked as if this was the best he expected from Tony so Bucky took it in stride and went over to take a seat next to Steve, "Ok. So what is all of it?"

"That isn't how this works. These are presents. I'm not supposed to tell you what is in them. You are supposed to open them to find out for yourself," Tony responded, bouncing again.

"Are we sure this is actually Howard's kid? You don't think that his wife might have had one over on him do you?" Bucky joked to Steve while he pulled the first of the boxes over and fumbled to get the wrapping off.

"Nah, he is too smart to be anyone else's kid. Besides, this is only Tony when he is excited. If you saw him in his lab you would see the resemblance more. He can get buried in work for days without knowing that any time has passed at all," Steve joked back as he watched Bucky finally manage to get the first box open. Inside was a gun cleaning kit like more than half of them had also gotten.

Bucky set it to the side and moved to grab the biggest box only to be stopped by Tony, "No, do the other one first. This one is last. You will get why in a minute." Bucky raised an eyebrow before taking the box that had been pushed forward and working on opening it. Inside was a photo album. "That was in my dad's stuff. It has a bunch of pictures of you guys and the Howling Commandos in it. Figured you would want it."

Bucky slowly opened it and looked at the first page which held a picture of Steve with Dr. Erskine just before the procedure to inject Steve with the serum and a picture of pre-serum Steve and Peggy together as well before one with Howard and Steve. Steve chuckled as he turned the page and saw a picture of himself in the costume the USO had had him wearing during the bonds tour. Bucky then quickly shut it and looked at Tony who was once again bouncing excitedly and he pushed forward the third present. This one was rather large and flat and Steve wondered what it could be as Bucky worked the wrapping paper off the box.

Once the paper was off, they realized it was a case rather than a box. Bucky carefully undid the clasps and opened it, what was inside made him gasp. It was a disassembled sniper rifle. Tony started talking again before either Bucky or Steve could say anything, "So a couple of years before I put an end to Stark Industries manufacturing weapons I found these schematics, or rather Pepper found them while sorting through some old designs for a systems upgrade. Call it cleaning house if you will. Anyways, she showed them to me and I realized it was a design that my dad had made back in the day but had never even made a prototype for.

"I figured, this is pretty advanced, even for WWII and I knew that there was nothing like it out in the market yet so I went ahead and had several of my research and design teams work on it, a little competition does wonders for getting the very best out of your employees. Anyways, so we ended up with like 10 different prototypes, each with little minor adjustments to see what kind of difference it would make. So with the prototypes made we hired a few retired and active duty snipers to test them out, to see what kind of viably we had with them. Thing is, every sniper told us that regardless of the prototype, all of which were designed based off the original schematics mind you, they were all 'too advanced' for them. We had over 30 snipers come in and tell us the same thing. The skills required for a gun of this caliber were beyond their wildest dreams. So, we shelved the project and then I got to thinking, 'why would my dad design a gun that required the kind of skill that was beyond a normal person's capability?'"

Tony looked at Bucky as if expecting him to answer the question but he just shrugged, not having any answer for his question. Tony finally sighed and continued, "I went through his notes that had been found with the schematics and realized that he had been taking a very specific sniper's complaints and trying to work them into a viable new rifle for that oh so very skilled sniper. No one else could handle even the prototypes because, quite simply, they had been made for the only person with the skills and talents to transcend the skills of a normal human. My dad designed this rifle for you. The reason he never made a prototype of it is probably because he had just finished the designs when you fell from that train. At least that's what his notes said."

Bucky and Steve looked completely floored by this revelation. It was finally Bucky who responded as he ran his hand over the unassembled weapon and whispered, "He never mentioned that he was working on this for me…"

"He asked what you wanted for your birthday. I joked that you wanted a sniper rifle that was actually up to your abilities. I guess he took me seriously. He probably didn't mention it because he wanted it to be a surprise. He did ask all those questions about what was not good enough about the one you had," Steve told Bucky softly as he noticed his eyes were moist. He didn't stop Bucky when he stood and walked to his room and closed the door quietly behind him.

"Does he not like it? If he doesn't then I know Clint had been eying the prototypes for a while and would probably jump at the chance to try them out," Tony frowned as he looked at the open case.

"I don't think that's what it is Tony. I think he may have just gotten a little overwhelmed again. He had only had full access to his memory for a little over a day now. It is going to take some time for him to adjust to that. He still needs to get used to this century and all the things that he's gone through," Steve tried to be gentle as he explained to Tony who had a look of realization at what he was saying.

"Too much all at once?" Tony asked, already knowing the answer. "Want me to have them send some food around for you guys so he doesn't have to deal with people?"

"Just give me a second. I think this is a momentary thing. It was probably more the surprise than anything else," Steve told Tony before going to Bucky's door and knocking softly.

After a brief pause, he opened the door and went in, closing the door behind himself. He found Bucky curled up on the bed over the covers. Steve sat slowly as he noted that tears were streaming down his friend's face and began to rub Bucky's back. After a couple minutes of this, Bucky uncurled and sat up, "Is this ever going to get any easier? How do I accept a present from the son of a man a killed, that present being a rifle designed special, just for me? I don't deserve it. I killed Howard. I have no right to anything that he made, even if it was meant for me." Bucky looked lost as he spoke causing Steve's heart to ache a little before pulling the hurting man into his arms.

"Honestly, knowing what I do of Howard, he wouldn't want the hours of work he put into designing that for you to go to waste. Tony is pretty much only doing what he knows his father would have wanted him to do. Plus, Howard was never one for holding a grudge. If he had known the circumstances, that you had a similar serum to mine in your system, he probably would have spent just as much time looking for you as he did me. You need to remember, it may have been your body that killed Howard and his wife but it wasn't _YOU_ , you had no say in the matter. The real people who kill them was the people who gave the orders," Bucky looked skeptical at Steve's words but had calmed and was now wiping away the tears.

"I just made an ass of myself didn't I?" Bucky asked as he reluctantly pulled away from Steve. As the two friends separated, Bucky caught a look in Steve's eye that he couldn't quite decipher and Steve looked away before he could have a chance to analysis it.

"Not really. I think Stark understands what you are going through in a sort of way. He feels a lot of guilt over what happened with Ultron because he created him. We should go if we want to eat though," Steve answered, standing now and offering his hand to pull Bucky up.

Once Bucky was standing, he found himself just a little too close to Steve and blushed as a result, "Right, wouldn't want to keep everyone waiting."


	9. Playing the Part

This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.

Chapter 8: Playing the Part

"Ok, so does anyone find it weird that Tony hasn't been flirting outrageously with the two beautiful women that arrived with him?" Clint asked as he and his family entered in the dining room where Sam, Sharon, Vision, Wanda, Thor, Eir, Scott and Talbot already waited.

"Um… Tony knew me when I was in diapers. His dad and my great-aunt founded SHIELD together. He is essentially like my uncle or a much older, very annoying brother. It is probably impossible for him to not see me as the 5-year-old little girl who shoved him in his dad's pool while he was sitting next to it with his nice new laptop. He hasn't forgiven me for that either," Sharon responded before taking a sip of wine from the glass in her hand.

"Ok, that explains you, and why Tony gave you presents but what about Agent Johnson?" Clint asked as he poured himself a glass of water, sitting next to where his wife had situated herself.

"Coulson called him before we arrived at the rendezvous point. I believe the particular threat he used was that he would utilize a Taser on Stark's nether regions if he so much as looked at Daisy Johnson funny. I wouldn't put it past him to actually go through with it too. Johnson may not actually be Coulson's daughter, but hell if he doesn't act the part. He has a soft spot for the girl a mile wide," Talbot's revelation caused the rest of the men in the room to wince in sympathy.

Just then Daisy and Coulson both walked in which caused everyone too look at them funny, "What?" Coulson asked as he looked around at them all.

"We were just discussing Tony's new found respect for boundaries and what brought it about," Sam answered.

"Oh, that was probably more for Stark's safety rather than anything else. I haven't been very tolerant of idiotic flirting of late and did lashed out a little at the last person who didn't get that I wasn't interested," Daisy stated, sitting next to the two-year-old Nathan.

"A little? Daisy, you put the guy through a wall. He was in the infirmary for a week," Coulson shot back, exasperated.

"He got handisy, so he got lucky. If May or Mack had been there he likely would have never walked again," Daisy sighed. It was clear they had had this conversation before. Talbot actually looked bored, much to the horror of some of the other men there.

"Boys, this is why we always show respect towards women. You never know what they're capable of," Clint stated seriously, looking to his children.

"You're kidding right? I've see you spar with Aunt Nat. We'd have to be insane to underestimate what girls can do," Callum, the oldest stated. "Besides, I know what Aunt Nat is teaching Nicole in terms of fighting moves. I don't want to ever be on the receiving end of that."

The 12-year-old's comments made most of the adults laugh. He had made a very good point. Tony, Steve and Bucky had slipped into the room while Coulson and Daisy had been having their 'debate' and when everyone had calmed from their laughter Bucky was the one to ask, "So how _did_ you put a guy through the wall?"

Daisy turned to look at him and smiling she held her hand out and suddenly the glass of water Steve had just gotten for Bucky was vibrating in his hands, "I can match and manipulate the frequency of pretty much anything. Super powers make it a lot easier to put a fool in his place."

"Yeah, I am just gonna stay away from that one," Tony commented, sitting with a glass of scotch in his hand.

"Good. Coulson had to kill the last two guys Johnson dated. More than a few people would be pissed if you were next," Talbot said without thinking only to watch Daisy's face contort in pain and he flinched at the joint glare he received by Coulson and Daisy.

Daisy then stood and set down her glass, "You know what, I should probably keep an eye on the algorithms running the translations. This is the first time they have been doing a job this big and important. I'm sure they can have something sent to my room." With this, Daisy was out of the room before anyone could respond.

"Damnit, I meant to make a joke… I keep sticking my foot in my mouth with her," Talbot looked like he really did regret saying what he did.

"You are going to have to work on that with her. If you two are going to be on the Accords Committee together then you really want her on your side when it comes to getting Inhumans to give their assistance when it's needed. They are on rise in terms of numbers," Coulson said before going over to a waiter and asked for some food to be delivered to Daisy's suite before following her exit with his own.

T'Challa entered at this point looking slightly confused, "I have missed something."

"Yeah, the General made a dick move and was lucky a certain super powered lady didn't send him through a wall," Sam stated. He knew exactly what kind of pain the girl was probably enduring, having probably been part of the reason both mentioned men had died.

"Nah, she is too smart to cause an international incident by breaking someone's palace. She is pretty good about that. I on the other hand have a bit of difficulty on that front. I need to go apologize," Talbot followed the other two after that.

"So… that wasn't awkward at all…" Tony said to break the tension. A few nervous chuckles later, the mood was lighter and those remaining ate. Half way through, Natasha and Dr. Samson arrive and were fed as well, prolonging the meal.

When they split up for the night, Bucky was yawning violently and even Steve was ready for sleep. Both went to their separate beds. However, Steve was woken in the middle of the night by Bucky trying to stealthily slip into his bed. Steve didn't question it, simply pulling his friend close once he was sleeping again. Bucky went through several periods of tossing about and settling during the night, but as he didn't wake, Steve let it be.

In the morning, when Steve got up, Bucky woke and followed suit even though it was only 4:15 according to the clock next to the bed. While Steve dressed in work out clothing, Bucky went to his room to do the same. By 4:30 they were in the gym. Sam, Clint, T'Challa, Natasha and to Steve's surprise Daisy and Sharon, were already in the gym when they got there. Daisy was going through the motions of Tai Chi and Sharon was already running laps around the indoor track. The men joined Sharon on the track, Steve, T'Challa and Bucky running the outer cirque at an extremely fast pace while Sam, Sharon, Clint and Natasha ran at their own speeds in the inner cirque, the middle cirques were used for those passing slower people. By 5 am, Coulson and Talbot joined them and Daisy finished her Tai Chi and moved on to running as well. They all finished around 6 am which is when Scott Lange showed up and was confused by everyone leaving as he came in.

"You're a late riser aren't you?" Daisy asked as she passed him on her way out.

"Oh! Come on guys! _ALL OF YOU?_ " Scott shouted halfheartedly.

"Don't give us that. You know what time we all come go to the gym. You got to get up early if you want company during your workout," Sam stopped to unsympathetically give Scott advice.

"Right. Because I don't have the same kind of motivation that you guys do," Scott growled. "I'm here aren't I? I just like my sleep is all."

Sam just shrugged before leaving. Scott groaned before he started to unenthusiastically jog around the track. Once Sam had caught up to the others he heard Daisy telling Talbot that about a quarter of the files had been translated and she would have a laptop ready for him after the 7 am test to make sure that Bucky was completely freed from the mind control. They all started splitting off the different suites to clean up and eat their respective breakfast. After they all finished this most headed off to their planned activities of the day. Bucky, Steve, Coulson, Talbot and Daisy all followed Dr. Samson and King T'Challa to a room empty but for a camera and speaker in it. Bucky went in and sat in the middle of the room and waited. Natasha was in a nearby room already, sitting in front of a microphone.

With a nod from Dr. Samson, Natasha pressed a button that sealed the room's door shut. She then spoke the eight trigger words in Russian slowly, as Zemo had while Bucky was in the UN custody. At first there was no reach, but with every word Bucky began to shake until, at the last word he curled up in a ball and was murmuring something. When Natasha turned up the volume in the room to hear what he said they all flinched a little, "I don't want to hurt anyone. Please don't make me hurt again." The words were repeated again and again while Steve dashed out of the room, quickly followed by Dr. Samson. Natasha hit the button to release to door and in seconds Steve was seen on the monitor slowly easing Bucky into his arms. Bucky was in a full blown panic attack but one thing was certain. He was free of the mind control.

"Well, that sucked. Pretty sure that anyone who watches this and hears the audio is going to agree that he isn't under the mind control effects anymore. We will need a copy of the drive, Ms. Romanoff," Daisy's voice was carefully neutral but Natasha could tell how uncomfortable this test had made her. Talbot didn't speak, his mouth in a grim line as he watched Captain America and Dr. Samson coax Bucky Barnes into a more relaxed state.

"Just as long as you promise I never have to do that again. I know this was a condition of the pardon, but damn," Natasha responded, before stopping the recording and transferred the data file onto the flash drive Daisy handed her.

"You never have to do that again. There is no need for you to. Now, I am going to give the good Doctor a few hours to help Mr. Barnes relax before doing the next super horrible thing they are making him do in order to earn a pardon that he deserves because he really isn't at fault," Daisy responded as she pocketed the drive that Natasha passed back to her.

"Are you really going to be able to handle listening to him list all the things they made him do?" Coulson asked Daisy, a look of concern on his face.

"Hell no. No more than you or Talbot here could. I set up a speech dictation program last night. I even enhanced it so that the wireless headset can reach anywhere within 100 ft. and it will filter out ambient noise so he can run while he tells his tale. I was thinking I could set him up in the gym and let him have at it while he gives one hell of a debrief and I would start transferring the VHS tapes to digital copy. In the meantime, Talbot, AC, I have the first part of those translated files for you. It's a bit of a mix between finance reports and mission reports so it shouldn't get too tedious," Daisy told him.

"I will arrange with Mr. Stark to have the VHS tapes and the converter brought down to the gym and set up for you, Ms. Johnson," T'Challa offered.

"Thanks, that will make things easier, Your Majesty," Daisy smiled at the king before leading Talbot and Coulson from the observation room. Once they were gone, Natasha and T'Challa looked back at the monitor and frowned as they noticed Bucky now clinging extremely tightly to Steve and Dr. Samson speaking comforting words.

"I believe that we should do everything in our power to ease Mr. Barnes's… reintegration into society as a whole. There is no need for him to suffer more than necessary because of these demands that the UN and US governments are demanding," T'Challa was careful with his phrasing while addressing Natasha.

"I hear you. I am sure Coulson and his group will be willing to help too. Miss Daisy is making some serious accommodations already with her little dictation set up for him. I am willing to bet she and Talbot will go out of their way to keep everything that is in those files very much within the committee too," Natasha responded in agreement.

"I like the way they managed to effect a compromise on who leads it, splitting the committee half politicians, half enhanced individuals. Have you read the list of those who have been selected so far?" T'Challa asked as Natasha shut down the system and got up.

"Yep, I also read their backgrounds. It is a very well rounded bunch. Hopefully it will keep this from being a political gambit for power. Of course, Stark made sure that we can't be manipulated into something nefarious," Natasha was now by the door.

"I highly doubt you could ever be manipulated. Manipulate others, yes, but controlling you is quite likely impossible," T'Challa led the way out of the room, locking it after Natasha exits.

"Did you just make a joke?" Natasha smiled.


	10. Recalibrating

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 9: Recalibrating

It took Steve and Dr. Samson a full hour before Bucky came out of the panic attack induced by the test. Once Bucky did come back to reality he nearly went into another one because he hadn't felt the passing of time and thus thought he had become the Winter Soldier once again. After some expert guidance from Dr. Samson, they managed to convince Bucky he had actually passed the test and that he hadn't done anything wrong. The stress of the situation caused Bucky to fall asleep, resulting in Steve carrying his friend to their suite and settling him in his bed. After this, he and Dr. Samson sought out Daisy, who seemed to be in charge of the evaluations for some reason. After a quick call to T'Challa, Steve learned that Agent Johnson was located in the gym.

When they entered the gym, they noticed several of the facility staff setting up a table with some laptops and a strange contraption that Steve was confused by but shrugged eventually and turned to where the SHIELD agent was angrily beating a punching bag. Steve examined her form and noted it was well constructed before leading Dr. Samson over to the young woman. It took Daisy a few moments before realizing she had company. Once she did, she eased off the bag and turned to the men, slightly out of breath.

"What can I do for you genets?" Daisy asked as she pulled the half gloves off her hands.

"I need to know exactly how far this whole 'earning the pardon' thing is going to go. It is doing a lot of hurt to Bucky," Steve couldn't completely hold his irritation from his voice but Daisy didn't seem to mind.

"Look, I get that this sucks, believe me, I probably get it more than most. I did the whole mind control thing. It nearly killed me in the process and unlike Barnes I actually had some control over my actions which makes it suck even worse. That being said, this isn't something I decided. I'm just trying to help Mr. Barnes get his life back. I know that having to go through all of this is horrible, believe me when I say I don't want to have to do this. I got picked because your friend Stark figured that considering my prior experience, I would be a lot friendlier to Barnes than most people would. Once I have the debrief, I will be gone and Barnes and you can hate me to your hearts content, I promise. I just really do want to get this over with for his sake. The sooner it is done, the less he has to worry about and the less focus that is placed on him," Daisy was trying, Steve realized and really did only want to help. "As for the panic attack this morning, if he needs time before we get started on the debrief, that is fine. I will be ready whenever he is."

"I was wondering exactly how you were planning on doing the debrief. I do understand it needs to be done but it is going to be difficult for him and their needs to be a way for him to release those emotions safely," Dr. Samson brought up a valid point which caused Steve to frown and Daisy to smile.

"I actually already thought of that. Like I said, I did the whole mind control thing. Debrief was an absolute nightmare for me since I was locked in a containment cell since they didn't know the long term effects yet. All I wanted during my debrief was to run or punch something. Thus, why I am setting up down here. I have a program for filtering out ambient noise and I combined that with a dictation software, fixed it up so that it recognized all languages and viola. Barnes can run, punch, kick, do whatever he needs to release the pent-up emotions while doing his debrief. I'm not even going to listen in, just monitor to make sure the system is working properly. The mic system will be able to read the signal anywhere in this room so he can move about and do what he needs to relax. Like I said, I just want this to be easy as possible for him. I know painless is impossible so the least I could do was provide an outlet for the hurt," Daisy explained as she got to the computers and pointed out the different features she explained. "I will have it ready whenever Barnes is ready. He doesn't even have to do it all in one go. It can be in bits in pieces, I will make it work to the best of my abilities."

"That is good to hear. I am sorry you went through something so horrific, but I am glad it provided you with insight on how to best aid others who endured something similar," Dr. Samson nodded his approval of the plan, satisfied that it was the best option available. "I would like to be here to observe though. Mr. Barnes is my patient and if something happens I should be here to help deal with it."

"Of course, provided that Barnes agrees. Most of what he is probably going to reveal will likely be classified super top secret but you have the who doctor patient confidentiality thing going and the clearance level for it so it should be fine. I can allow that," Daisy smiled as she sat down and that was when Steve noticed the massive box of tapes. "I am going to work on these now. If Barnes wants get started, I will be down here for probably all of today and tomorrow."

Steve accepted this at face value and he and Dr. Samson left her to her work. Dr. Samson decided to see if Talbot would allow him access to any of the files for what had been done to Bucky and headed to the man's suite. Steve decided to check on the progress of Bucky's arm. The lab was like a kicked bee hive when Steve entered and his presence went unnoticed. Eir, Tony and Scott had surprisingly joined by Laura Barton, surprising that was until Steve got close enough to hear her talking with Tony in technical jargon only a skilled engineer could comprehend. The group was situated around a holographic display of the arm, or parts of the arm as they discussed what could be improved on and what was antiquated. Scott and Laura seemed to be arguing over some point when Clint joined Steve in watching the group.

"You know, at first I thought that Tony brought my wife and kids so that we could be together. Now I know he was more interested in her engineering skills. Laura works free-lance but her designs are first rate. She was the one who designed my bow, arrows and quiver before the Avengers formed. I love my genius of a wife," Clint wore a gentle smile as he looked at his wife pleasantly arguing with Scott as Tony sided with her on some feature and Scott finally backed down on the matter. "We had better go interrupt before they put a rocket launcher on the thing though."

Steve looked at Clint with worry for a second before realizing that the man was joking and by then Clint had already reached the group and was wrapping his arms around his wife happily. Steve followed and was greeted with smiles all around.

"How fairs the son Barnes," Eir inquired softly once the greetings were done with.

"Sleeping. The test stressed him out which left him exhausted. Hopefully he will be better in a few hours," Steve responded, understanding the Asgardian was invested in Bucky's recovery, concerned due to the extent of damage that occurred to his brain. She had expressed a concern that for all the repairs she had made, some things needed to repair themselves and there is no telling how or when that occur.

"Of course. If you have need of my assistance you may feel free to simply ask for it," Eir bowed slightly.

"So, how is everything going?" Steve asked, gesturing toward the hologram careful to not actually put his hand in the display which would do only god knows what.

"Well, we pretty much had the design finalized. Scott thought that we should weaponized the arm even more than it already is but adding something like a knife or blaster would require reworking the entire thing and honestly isn't practical. Besides, Barnes is already lethal enough without those things. A vibranium arm will be enough to protect him from most attacks and fully functional as a weapon itself," Tony stated as he looked at the design display. "We now just need to agree on who works on which part of the arm so that we can get it ready asap."

"How long do you think it will be? Bucky is getting a little frustrated with not being able to do a lot of things and slow at everything else," Steve didn't want to push but he wanted to give his friend some good news when he woke.

"If we work through the rest of today and tomorrow, then maybe the day after. It is just an arm, not a full body so it shouldn't be too hard. We are all geniuses after all," Tony paused before looking at Scott. "Well, all but Lange but he is at least useful so he can stay. You and Barton need to go though or it will take us much longer to finish."

Steve nodded and turned to head back to his suite, hoping Bucky would be awake by now. Clint only lingered for a little while longer before he also left to go spend time with his kids. When Steve reached their suite he found it completely devoid of life and was immediately concerned. A few minutes of pacing had him deciding to go to Talbot and Coulson's suite, figuring that Bucky may have gone there if he wanted to get on with the next task and didn't know where to go to find Daisy. Coulson apologized and told him that Bucky had been there a half hour before and they had already sent him down to the gym where Daisy was. Steve relaxed a little knowing where Bucky was and went back to the gym.

When he arrived he found Bucky jogging around the track, his mouth moving as he moved at an easy pace. Daisy and Dr. Samson were sitting at the table set up. Dr. Samson had an earpiece in his ear, monitoring Bucky's dialogue and observing the laptop in front of him while Daisy typed away at one laptop while she glanced occasionally at a third off to the side or at the laptop Dr. Samson observed. Dr. Samson looked up as Steve approached and joined them.

"How is he doing?" Steve asked, deciding he couldn't be angry at Daisy as she hadn't actually forced Bucky to start the debrief.

"He has gone through the first decade of his captivity already. He is in the year '52 and as far as I can tell he has done 17 missions in that time. He is keeping the debrief very simple. The date, who his handler was, the location of the safe house he woke in, what the mission was and how it was executed, and finally where he reported in and then a wipe. It looks like they wiped his memory after every mission in order to keep him in line," Dr. Samson responded, not even so much as glancing away from the screen of the laptop as words appeared. "I will really have my work cut out for me on this one. As far as I can tell, the wipes in the beginning didn't seem to be enough to garner full control over him. His instinct often takes over meaning that the 'mission' they sent him on either ended up uncompleted or done in a manner that left the witnesses alive. It is actually kind of remarkable that he fought it off so well in the beginning considering the extent of the torture he endured and the damage to his body when he was initially found."

"He's a strong one. I think anyone with an ounce less of mental strength would have been completely lost to the damage and mind control," Daisy inserted as she glanced over at Dr. Samson's laptop before returning to her typing as Steve sat on the other side of the doctor. "I _know_ I would have broken under that kind of pressure."

Steve accepted this answer and turned to start reading what Bucky was saying as he ran. Over the next two hours Steve got up and used the punching bag five times out of anger while Bucky continued to run and talk about what Hydra and its associated organizations had forced him to do. As the third hour made its approach Bucky suddenly collapsed to the ground causing all three of his observers to be out of their seats and at Bucky's side. Bucky was seizing on the ground. Dr. Samson immediately ordered Steve to call for medical assistance while he gentle turned Bucky's shaking on its side to prevent the man from drowning from vomit or saliva. He held Bucky carefully as the seizing finally slowed and stopped. Just after this several doctors and Eir hurried into the room and gathered around Bucky. Eir held a crystal in her hand and immediately used it to scan over his entire body.

"His mind was correcting a fluctuating hormone in the brain. He was pushing himself to his mental limits. Sir Barnes should rest for the remainder of the day," She finally stated as she pulled away from him. Bucky seemed to be regaining awareness at this point and was asking what happened.

"You collapsed. Damn, you scared me there, Buck," Steve answered, pulling the disoriented man into an embrace before looking toward the Asgardian healer. "Will he be ok?"

"He should be fine. As I have said before. Some things need to be allowed to heal themselves or there could be negative consequences. His mind corrected something that needed to be corrected. I have no doubt that tomorrow things will be much easier for him," Eir responded before directing the medical staff to return to their normal duties. "I recommend you return him to his room. He will likely sleep for a majority of the remainder of the day. I also recommend you keep watch over him as he may have another seizure. If this happens merely turn him on his side so his airway doesn't become obstructed. You needn't call for assistance unless it extends longer than a few minutes."

Steve nodded slowly before lifting his friend into his arms for the second time that day and carrying him back to their suite. Tony entered the gym just after Steve left with Bucky and looked around in confusion, "What happened? Lady Eir?"

"Sir Barnes mind was… going through a recalibration. It was startling and thus those present were unsettled," Eir responded before leading him back out of the gym. "Come now, we have work to do if we are to assist Sir Barnes in readjusting to his life."

Tony looked at the Asgardian funnily before looking to Dr. Samson and Daisy for clarification, "Barnes had a seizure. She said it was because his brain was fixing something that she couldn't without making things worse." Daisy offered before going to the table holding the laptops and sitting back down.

"At least he got most of the debrief out of the way. He was up to year 2008. Only another six or so years of missions left to list and then he is done with this requirement. His life has truly been a nightmare though. There has to be almost 200 missions on this list. It's a good 80 plus pages long," Daisy added as she scrolled through the list of missions.

Tony accepted this and left, following the Asgardian who hadn't bothered to wait for him back to the lab so they could continue to work on the arm for Barnes.

 **Author's note: Sorry if it annoys anyone that Daisy is so evident in this story but she is kind of necessary for this portion of the plot.**


	11. The Darkest of Truths Reveled

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Warning: This chapter includes non-descript mention of sexual assault**

Chapter 10: The Darkest of Truths Reveled

It was a full two days before Bucky was seen by anyone besides Steve. Steve had also essentially disappeared for those days as well, watching over his friend and caring for him. Bucky had two more seizures the day after the first and Eir had said that it was to be expected given the circumstances. Daisy, Talbot and Coulson had all but vanished as well, sequestering themselves in Talbot and Coulson's suite and reading through the files that were finally fully translated. None of the three could bring themselves to watch to footage that came with it just yet though.

On the third day it was finally Daisy who reemerged from their seclusion and her expression spoke for itself. She had appeared in the lab were most of the Avengers, sans Bucky and Steve, were gathered as Tony and the other engineers displayed the finished arm, "Hey, I hate to interrupt but there is something that we found in the files that we need to discuss. It is pretty important. Coulson is getting Barnes and Rogers right now. You need to all come with me."

With these vague words the team immediately lost all excitement and took on a rather grim expression for themselves. They all quietly followed Daisy back to the suite and inside they found Bucky and Steve already sitting on the couch in the living space facing the large T.V. screen mounted on the wall. Daisy had hooked up a HDMI cable to the screen and her laptop so everyone took whatever seats in view of the screen available.

"Before we show you what we found, you should know that it will probably be upsetting to some, or even most of you," Daisy stated before looking around and seeing that they all seemed as prepared as they could be she put up the first two pages of the file she had discovered the night before while they were reading through all of them, flagging the most important files for a closer review. After she found this file, Coulson, Talbot and Daisy had all discarded the option of sleep in favor of locating all files related to it and reviewing them with growing concern.

After 15 minutes, everyone present had had enough time to read through the two pages and Daisy switch them to pages 3 and 4 of the file. This went on for another hour before Natasha stood and started pacing around the room before turning to Daisy and looking at the girl seriously, "Are you sure there is no miss translation?"

"I thought the same thing but I ran the original file through the translation program again once I read the original. None of the other files have shown any signs of mistranslations either. If you want I can give you the original copy to read through," Daisy offered before moving over to hand the paper file that was in Russian to the native Russian in the room.

Natasha slowly took the file before sitting away from the others. A half hour of silence followed before Natasha stood and handed the file to Bucky who was also fluent in Russian so he could read it and turned back to Daisy, "Is this the full extent of it? They… they violated him and used his sperm for a breeding program labeled… 'The Black Widow Program'?" Natasha, a woman who had never faltered in anything in her life, had actually stumbled over her speech due to the extent of her emotions. Daisy handed her a second file, connected to the first before turning to put the translated version up on the screen.

This second was only three pages long. The first two pages was mainly a list of female names, names of the mothers, birth dates and the words 'failure' or 'success'. The words failure exceeded the words success. The last page was an accounting of males born from the project, the dates of births, and the names of the mothers. On all the pages the mothers were listed as terminated as well. Natalia Romanov was listed near the bottom as 'success' and her birth date was listed as November 22, 1984. Natasha and Bucky were both visible shaking for different reasons. Steve and Clint both looked like they were ready to murder every person even remotely involved in the program the files had detailed. The rest looked sick to their stomach at the idea of something so horrific.

Eventually Daisy spoke again, "This is just a list of names that came directly from the… breeding program. There is another listing of baby girls that were taken from political prisoners. There are also files on all the 'success' cases. Thankfully they only date to the 80s so we can hope that no more children were… conceived after that. Natasha was among the last of them." Natasha had remained frozen staring at the file in her hands while Bucky did the same with the screen on the wall.

"So how many total? I know I could count but I can't bring myself to right now. How many kids did they use me to father?" Bucky finally snapped out of his shock but his voice was devoid of all emotion.

Daisy hesitated to speak so Talbot answered for her, "There was a total of 97 live births, 12 still births and 19 miscarriages." Talbot's voice was barely loud enough for everyone to hear but hear they did and more than a few of them shuddered or gagged at the knowledge.

"And biologically Miss Romanoff is my daughter?" Bucky seemed to need to confirm this information, his voice still neutral but his expression was pained. Steve finally snapped out of his rage and was looking toward Bucky with a matching pain in his eyes.

"Yes, she was among the last of the children from the… breeding portion of the program. Only three other girls were successfully born after her. The rest were all mostly kidnapped babies. Still horrible in its own right," Talbot answered, his face truly grim.

"Do you know if any others lived?" Tony was the first person to think of this and more than a few others looked surprised at the question.

"As far as we can tell, no. Those that did survive the training and were listed as 'successes' were all before Natasha and when we looked through their files they were all listed as deceased. Unless there was a situation where a pregnant woman carrying one of the children escaped there isn't even a possibility. Natasha, you told me about the training, there was no survivors from those who failed," Coulson answered carefully.

"No, there wouldn't be any others. When they terminated the program they tried to off us by sending us on compromised missions. They would leak the details of missions and let the local authorities do their dirty work. It was how I got brought into SHIELD. Clint was supposed to take me out and decided to confront me about how the intel got out instead. If he hadn't done that, I would be just as dead as the rest," Natasha answered the unspoken question before handing the file back to Daisy and carefully schooling her expression. "I'm sorry, I need to absorb this information."

Natasha's exit was deliberate in her attempt to control emotions she had never realized she was capable of feeling until this moment. Steve and Clint had both returned to their expressions of murderous rage and Clint stated simply that he would be in the gym and not to disturb him unless it was an Avenger's level emergency or they figured out that one of the bastards who had been involved was still alive. Steve opted to focusing on Bucky and once they were back in their suite Bucky took to pacing while Steve dropped to the floor and started doing push-ups to work off the pent up energy.

Tony and Scott decided that the best way of dealing with their horror was to work on designs for different projects they had been considering and thus buried themselves in pointless work. Wanda and Pietro disappeared into the nearby jungle, presumably to deal with their conflicted emotions in their own ways. They had a further secret they hadn't shared and needed to discuss it fully before deciding where they would go with it. Vision found himself, for the first time ever, understanding a slight amount of what drove Ultron to his path of extreme destruction. After assessing his feelings on the matter he reaffirmed his belief that while there was a great deal of evil and darkness in the world that it was greatly outweighed by those who were truly good and beautiful at heart. Sam felt rather detached from the situation, unlike most of the others he had never experienced being tortured or experimentation or mind control. He did understand combat and he simply couldn't fathom what would drive some insane scientist to try creating some twisted all female army of assassins with enhanced strength and healing. It also explained why Natasha looked younger than she was. He thought once again, not for the first time that he was probably the most normal person among them all. He had a fairly average childhood and his first experience with anything weird was as a pararescueman in the army and the Falcon program that got him his wings.

At length Wanda and Pietro returned to the facility and called for another meeting, Natasha and Clint both kept to the back. Bucky was pacing off to the side and everyone was curious to what was to be the next big revelation. Once Daisy, Talbot and Coulson joined them, as Wanda and Pietro insisted they would need to know this as well, Wanda looked at Pietro who nodded and she began, "We haven't been entirely truthful about the full extent of our family history. When we were ten, a few months before our parents died, they told us a story. Our father told us that when he met our mother he was working for the soviet government as a guard at a holding facility with a few of political prisoner females, all of whom were in various stages of pregnancy. He told us how he was guard to one of them and had fallen in love with her so he decided to help her escape. She was only a few months pregnant at the time and he managed to smuggle her out by drugging his fellow duty guards one night." Wanda was visibly crying at this point.

Pietro continued the story, "Our father said it had been a miracle that he managed to get our mother out that night. He managed to get us, well our mother who was carrying us, far away from the facility and over the border into Sokovia. That is where we were born six months later." Pietro's words had left everyone silent.

"Are you telling us that your mother may have been the hypothetical one female we were talking about earlier?" Talbot finally asked.

"You would probably want to do a DNA test to confirm it. It is possible that is why they survived the experimentation that Hydra did on them while others didn't. They were naturally more durable. I wouldn't be surprised if they were the last ones born from the program, even if they were born outside of the control of the Red Room," Tony was standing and pacing. His mind now in hyper drive. "Anyone else have a dirty little secret to share? Any other possible Barnes children?"

"Tony, please. This really isn't the time for joking. Your right though. We should do a DNA test to confirm or disprove their theory," Natasha looked at the twins in a new light. She was still coming to terms with the knowledge that she had personally killed at least several of her own half-sisters. The knowledge that she may actual have a half-sister and half-brother was both dangerous emotionally but also made her feel a swell of excitement that matched the one from earlier when she learnt that not only did she have a father who wasn't a complete monster, as she had believed her entire life, but one that was also still alive.

With this, she led the group as they all relocated to the labs. Once there, Tony took cheek swabs from Wanda, Pietro, Bucky and, just to make sure, Natasha. He handed the swabs to a nearby technician who began the process of running the test. Turning back to Bucky he smiled, "Well, while we are waiting to learn if you guys all make up the most dysfunctional Maury Show ever, Barnes, do you want to hook up your new arm? Give you something to be happy about. Not that learning you're a father isn't happy but this way you can actually embrace the kids if they really are all yours."

Steve and Natasha both glared at Tony's lack of seriousness but Bucky climbed up onto the nearby medical bed and lay back in answer to his question. Tony smiled and started talking about all the upgrades and features they had made to the new model as he examined the inset cavity on the shoulder. T'Challa's people had long removed the damaged portion of the old arm and now all that remained was the connection point. Scott had gone to collect the arm while Tony looked at the connection point and had returned with it.

"Ok, this will hurt a bit since it is literally connecting your nerves to the arm," Tony said and quickly inserting the arm into the connectors before Bucky could react to his comment. Bucky swore up a storm in not only English and Russian but also German and French. Steve didn't look surprised by any of the languages coming out of Bucky's mouth though Natasha, Wanda and Pietro all smirked at some of the Russian he spewed forth. Eventually the man calmed and the three exchanged knowing looks.

"Well, if he is your biological father, then we know where you got your propensity towards Russian profanities Nat," Clint joked, also being fluent in Russian.

"Yes, I believe he called Tony the product of a pig and an iguana mating at one point. He is very inventive when in pain. He very well could be our father," Wanda spoke pragmatically and Pietro nodded his agreement happily.

Just then, the lab technician that had taken the DNA samples handed a sheet with the results to Tony and walked away to return to his own work. Tony looked down and smirked, "Well, I may have been fathered by an iguana but at least my family is much less dysfunctional then yours." With this Tony handed the results to Natasha who sighed and handed it to Wanda who then passed it to Pietro before he finally handed it to Bucky.

Bucky noticed that none of them actually bothered to examine the paper further than the three positives under paternity connected to his. Bucky handed Steve who read it and nodded before handing it Daisy who was apparently in charge of everything to do with Bucky's pardons and the like, "Does this change anything?" Was the question he finally asked her.

Bucky got up from the bed. The pain from the arm now abating and he noticed it had taken on the appearance of skin. Flexing the arm and hand he realized it really _was_ far superior to the previous arm he had. Daisy looked hard at the paper before handing it to Talbot who also took the contents seriously. Finally, she spoke, "In terms of his pardon? No. According to the files you were sedated every time they… well took what they wanted. If anything it would garner sympathy if you want it known. If you don't then we can restrict access to the information to the Accords Committee. I am sure that given the circumstances no one would deny you all deserve to have your private family life stay private." Daisy was firm in her words and they could all see she meant it.

"For now, I say we keep this in house. Best case someone would try to use the family connection to control or manipulate us in battle. Worst case we all get kidnapped for some new insane scientist to experiment on," Natasha answered for them and the rest nodded their agreement. "In the meantime, Barnes, I'm not calling your dad or daddy. I am also not taking your last name. I know you had no choice in the whole family thing and I am not going to put any pressure on you for some sort of ties."

"I'll call you daddy!" Tony inserted making a few people laugh before he received a glare from Steve. "What? It is funny! _And true!_ "

"While I am also not going to call you daddy, or papa, I would like to get to know you better. As Nat said, you didn't have any choice in the matter but I would like you to know me and learn to understand you better," Wanda told Bucky more reasonably. Pietro was quick to second the sentiment and the matter seemed settled when Bucky smiled at them weakly, still not sure how to handle the entire situation.

 **Author's Note: Yes, this is a big plot twist. Yes, I know the real history of Natasha and the Maximoff twins in the comics. I have an entire encyclopedia of all the Marvel characters (except Peggy, for some reason she doesn't have her own entry). That being said this is a fan based story. I am taking artistic license with the story. I did say that I would only keep cannon up through Civil War.**


	12. Revelations and Plans

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: There will be slight OOC, not much I promise. Just a little to make the plot flow better.**

Chapter 11: Realizations and Plans

After the revelations of the fifth day that Bucky was awake pretty much everyone one needed alone time. Bucky opted to test out the capabilities of his new arm and convinced Steve to spar with him. He drowned his emotions in the act of the fight with his best friend, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hurt the equally strong Steve.

Natasha decided to disappear into the depths of the facility for privacy to consider what she would do with this new information. She also felt the pressing need to get her emotions back in check. Due to working with Wanda as an Avenger she had already developed a familial type of bond with the other main female teammate. Now she had to deal with the reality that not only did she have an intangible bond with the girl but was genetically related to her. This information actually had a bigger impact on her than she would have liked to admit and even more than even the knowledge that she had actually already killed several of her half-sisters. She had never formed bonds with those girls in the Red Room as it was too dangerous to do so, such bonds would have gotten her killed by others during her training.

Sam and Clint decided that they both needed an outlet for the stress and also opted for sparring, taking up the second set of mats designed for the purpose in the gym. If Clint was a little overly aggressive in his movements Sam didn't say anything. He understood in theory, if not in experience, that Clint was angry more for the sake of his best friend than anything else. Wanda and Pietro had disappeared back into the woods, no doubt to discuss how they would deal with the knowledge of who their biological father was and their collective family history as a result. Daisy and T'Challa did the debrief of the UN incident that T'Challa told her he would not be able to do any other time. Thor and Eir both joined Tony in discourse over the differences in Asgardian and Midgardian technology and the advantages and disadvantages of both. Despite what was often thought of Thor, he wasn't nearly as much of a bumbling oaf as he pretended to be for the masses. Laura hadn't been present for either of the meetings but had noticed his distraction. Thus, she located him and ended up dragging him off to determine what had him so upset. After this Sam just went back to his rooms.

By the time that most of the Avengers had calmed emotionally enough to re-emerge from their respective activities it was well into the night and most of them crashed without so much as eating. Steve and Bucky resorted to room service as neither wanted to cook but as Steve had pointed out, they both had super-fast metabolisms and it wasn't a good idea for them not to fuel their bodies after the extent of working out they had done as they had literally sparred for hours. Natasha, Wanda and Pietro also found that they needed to eat, though not quite as much as the super soldiers did.

The next morning, other than Daisy, who apparently was up and doing Tai Chi by 4 am, Bucky and Steve found themselves to be the first people into the gym, arriving at 4:15 after being unable to sleep any longer. This didn't last long as by 4:30 the entire complement of Avengers, plus the various persons who were required to keep fit for their professions, were in the gym. Wanda and Pietro approached Bucky with very serious expressions. Wanda was the one to actually speak to him, her face completely serious, "We had discussed the situation fully and have decided that, although you weren't there for our childhoods, as you had no say in the matter we acknowledge you as our Papa and will be calling you that in private. In public we will consent to referring to you as 'Bucky'. That being said, we expect you to treat us as if you had known of our existence and that we are your children. Beyond that, we are aware it will take some adjusting to our new familial relationship but we hope that you will become accustomed to the idea and embrace us fully with time."

Pietro turned to Natasha and added, "Natasha, we also expect you to treat us as the siblings that we are to you. I know that Wanda has always wished for a sister and we also wish to embrace you fully as such," The two were completely serious in their decision. A look of uncertainty was on Bucky's face and Natasha's expression was completely blank before she broke into a smile.

"Awe hell. How can I say no to those faces? Fine, one big, happy, and probably dysfunctional family. You have to call Steve Uncle Steve though if you're going to call me Papa," Bucky beat Natasha to the punch. He didn't present them all with open arms but he accepted their choice. He realized that they probably wanted some tangible family connection that they hadn't experienced since the deaths of their parents. Bucky did understand some semblance of the desire as Steve had told him that not only was his little sister Rebecca no longer alive but that she had never married or had kids. In fact, his sister had died in the '50s in an accident. It was a bit of a blow to learn this, but Bucky was learning to cope.

Natasha had no such compunctions on embracing the twin though, "I have to admit it. I never really thought much on having siblings. Even the fact that I actually had a bunch of blood relatives and even knew quite a few of them is a revelation. The fact that I actually like three of them is astounding. If I got to pick which ones to keep, you guys are probably better options then the ones that tried to kill me during our training. Though, Wanda, I will have to get you to further your hand-to-hand. Magic isn't the answer to all the world's problems." With this Natasha wrapped her arms around the twins and hugged them, much to everyone's surprise. Natasha muttered something about going soft while she pulled away but kept smiling at them.

"Ok, well, we have wasted time, let's start actually exercising," Daisy had finished her Tai Chi and wanted people to start actually moving on the track.

This caused the little family moment to break up. Bucky informed Pietro that he had to keep pace with him, not using super speed or going the normal pace everyone else used but rather super soldier pace with him, Steve and T'Challa. Natasha told Wanda to keep up as well since she would have little excuse, with the same super genetics that Natasha had received, to not keep up with her. The group finished off at 6 am again and all headed off to shower and eat. Pietro and Wanda inviting Natasha, Bucky, and Steve, whom Wanda had carefully informed he would not be called Uncle Steve, to eat breakfast with them once they cleaned up.

After breakfast, Bucky, who had opted not to shower, told them he was going to finish his 'debrief', as Daisy called it. He assured them that it wouldn't take more than an hour and then left. Daisy was in her suite and readily agreed to finish the task off when he requested it. Collecting the required laptop and wireless head set, Daisy and Bucky went down to the gym. The table had been left for their use and Daisy quickly arranged the equipment. Bucky decided to test the strength of his new arm as he went over the last few years of his captivity and torture. It only took him 45 minutes before he finished and Daisy noted that, unlike the last time, he barely seemed to show any evidence of it affecting him at all.

Bucky retreated to his room after he had finished with the 'debrief'. Now he paced around his room, _his room, not Steve's._ Finishing with the debrief had brought out a startling realization. While, throughout his captivity he had managed to break through in small ways like preventing the Soldier, who he had mentally separated as a different entity from himself, from killing Natasha in Ukraine. He realized now why he had done it of course. Natasha actually looked a lot like his sister Rebecca, though the red hair came from his father's side of the family. It went against his very instinct to kill her because she was so strangely familiar.

As he paced he also realized that Wanda looked more like his mother, though both girls and Pietro all got his curly hair, a trait from his grandmother on his father's side of the family. He had no way of knowing how much Natasha looked like her birth mother but he realized it couldn't have been much, and the same for the twins. The only odd feature he couldn't place was Pietro's white blonde hair. He thought he might ask the twins if their mother had been blonde before shrugging it off. It wasn't really important. There was only one thing that was.

Throughout all the memory wipes and brain washing, only three times was his true person, rather than just a basic instinct not to do something, emerge past the personality of the Soldier. The first time was because of Natasha. The second and third were because of Steve. Natasha so resembled his sister and father that now that he really thought about it, it was amazing that he didn't suspect some family relation earlier in their admittedly short time knowing each other. As for Steve, that was the big revelation. Where Natasha had only pulled forth his instinctive protective nature as a brother forward, Steve had actually managed to penetrate the mental fog.

Steve had actually blasted through it. Even though Howard had recognized him, Bucky hadn't recognized the old man because by that point he had aged significantly, 50 years was a long time. Howard's begging had done nothing because he, even as Bucky's friend, hadn't held the emotional weight that Steve or even Natasha had. Both the first and second he had broken free he had been severely punished and his memory wiped, the mind control seriously reinforced. Even that hadn't been enough to prevent Steve from decimating the controls they had placed on him a second time. Steve hadn't just recognized him, even beneath the dark personality of the Winter Soldier. He had spoken to not only the oppressed part of his mind but his words had reached even deeper, into his very soul.

The revelation was startling because, in analyzing all his memories while doing the debrief, the stark reality was that while the Asgardian had restored the memories themselves, she hadn't restored the feeling of emotions that came with them. That had been what had triggered the seizures, she had confirmed it when he asked before returning to the suite. _His mind_ had to restore what emotions belonged with what memory. Now he knew what the strange feeling he had been feeling throughout the week he'd been awake was.

 _He loved Steve_ , not as a friend or even as a brother. He wanted Steve in every way it was possible to want someone. He also knew that he had loved Steve before he fell from the train, before Steve saved him in that Hydra POW camp, before Steve had been given the serum that made him healthy and strong. Hell, Bucky realized now that he had known he loved Steve before he had even gone off to war, while dating all those random girls. They had all been his way of hiding how he felt for his best friend, so both Steve and the world at large didn't learn that he was in love with another man.

Bucky didn't realize he had been working himself into a panicked state until he realized he was no longer pacing but now curled up into a ball on his bed. Thankfully, he realized Steve hadn't come looking for him or there was no telling what he might have done at that point. Bucky slowly let his emotions calm and when he did a memory came forward in his mind. It was the angry ranting of a couple of scientists working on his arm going on about the legalization of gay marriage. The men hadn't really been talking to him, but rather ignoring that he was present. He let the memory slip away but let the information keep a firm hold in his mind. After rolling a few thought around in his head, Bucky came up with a plan.

Natasha, Wanda and Pietro had all expressed a desire to get to know him better. If gay marriage _had_ been legalized, it likely would have been viewed as a pretty major event and thus be recorded in history. He decided to kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, and while getting to know his only living relatives, even just thinking of them as his children would take time, he would learn all about the changes that had been made in the past 70 + years he had been prisoner for.

As he exited his room, intent on executing his plan immediately, he found the reason Steve hadn't come looking for him, despite his likely rather long disappearance into his room. All of the Avengers were assembled in the living space, talking. His emergence from his room garnered more than a few smiles from those present, "Perfect timing. We were about to send Steve to go get you." Natasha's smile was actually sincere, much to the surprise of many of those present.

"What's going on?" Bucky asked.

"Well, Agent Johnson has spent most of the morning cornering us all and getting our version of what happened with the Accords/UN incident, so by tomorrow we should all be clear to head home if we want to," Clint answered. Bucky frowned a little, realizing he must have been completely oblivious to the passing of time in his half panicked state and didn't know late it had gotten. His expression was clearly noticed. "Something wrong?"

This snapped Bucky from his inner turmoil and he moved to sit with all of them while answering, "No, it's fine, I was just wondering where I was going to be calling 'home'. I haven't really had one for over 70 years." He took a seat between Natasha and Wanda who had pushed Pietro to the floor to make the space for him. Pietro didn't even look put out by it, once Bucky was seated, he sat in front of Wanda and leaned back against her legs.

Steve frowned at the fact Bucky had chosen to sit between the girls rather than in the seat he had intentionally saved next to himself. Tony smirked at Steve's frown before turning to Bucky, "I have you covered. That last stipulation requires you to be either living at the Avengers facility in upstate New York, at Stark Tower in New York city or in a private residence with one of the Avengers. Stark Tower has plenty of space available, the upstate facility requires some repairs because your little princess decided to send Vision through ten floors of sub basements, and you would actually require an opportunity to go house hunting before you move your little family of four, or five if you include Steve. Stark Tower is the best option at the moment. I can give you the other half of Steve's floor, Nat and Clint share the one above it and the twins have the one below it so you would be near all the people you love the most. It you aren't happy with that I will just buy you guys a house. The upstate facility needs some real repairs." Tony looked at Wanda at the last part which caused Bucky to look at her curiously, wondering what had happened.

"Papa, I would not have had to destroy the place if Tony didn't have Vision hold me prisoner in the place. Tony only has himself to blame," Wanda was completely serious as she justified her actions to Bucky.

"I thought I was doing what was best," Tony retorted childishly.

"I have rights! You were treating me like child that had no control! I am capable of a lot more control then you think and I'm not as dangerous as you made me out to be," Wanda snapped and most of the room grew visibly uncomfortable. Tony and Vision both looked like they felt the full guilt of what she had said and looked away. Wanda looked to see if Bucky was going to support her.

"Little princess?" Was Bucky's response as he finally seemed to fully process everything going on around him. "First off, please don't go giving either of my daughters nicknames. Secondly, really? You tried to imprison her? I am not sure I approve of that, regardless of what led up to it since, as far as I can tell, she isn't exactly some villain here."

Wanda, Pietro, Clint, Natasha and Steve all looked pleased with his response, though Bucky couldn't keep too much attention on Steve without other thoughts surfacing. Tony and Vision looked like they wanted to sink into the floor. Vision's desire was a bit more evident because he had actually done so partially, his feet had actually fazed into the floor before he realized what he was doing and pulled them up, solidifying. Tony finally looked at the group of accusing faces and sighed, "Ok, I admit we didn't handle the situation as well as we could have. However, we're getting off topic here. Do we all agree it is time to return to the States and get back to our lives? This time with a new respect for our fellows."

"It is probably for the best. We can't keep hiding away in this remote and relatively isolated part of the world. Plus, I still need to finish updating our fences. Laura wasn't too happy about me leaving before they were finished. The cows keep getting out," Clint remarked, causing a few people to chuckle at so mundane a thought. "We could all stop at my place if you guys want to make it up to Laura by doing all the bickering in the first place and finish the fence together. After that you all can head to Stark Tower and I can spend time with the wife and kids."

More than a few of them looked uncertain, Tony being the primary among them, but it was Wanda who settled the matter, "Well, as you had to leave in order to break me out of my imprisonment, I think it is only fair that we help you finish it." Wanda gave a glare to both Tony and Vision making it clear that they had no choice in the matter. After this, it was quickly agreed that they would all go to the Barton Farm before returning to Stark Tower. Anyone who looked like they wanted to object got a glare from not only Wanda but also Natasha and Bucky.

Bucky had completely missed lunch while he was thinking about his plans for what to do about his feelings. Thus, after the meeting it was actually time for them to all prepare for dinner. Wanda and Pietro insisted that Bucky sit between them during the meal, much to the annoyance of Steve and amusement of Natasha, who had been forced to sit on Wanda's other side, and Tony. Wanda and Pietro peppered Bucky with questions about himself and told him about themselves as the group ate. By the end of the meal, Steve found himself rather irritated. Tony was beyond amused when Steve was straight up scowling as Wanda and Pietro dragged Natasha and Bucky off to their suite after the meal. Daisy, Coulson and Talbot had spent most of the meal talking with T'Challa and Vision, but Daisy had also been taking sneak shots of the pouting Steve and baffled Bucky to send back to their base with captions like, 'Cap getting jealous of Barnes spending time with the kids' and 'the twins wanted to know if their daddy had ever eaten Borsch'. May had long since become annoyed with Daisy's texts but Mack and the rest kept demanding more. Daisy herself had actually grown a little fond of the Avengers. The antics they had gotten up to whenever she had been free to observe them had reminded her a lot of the new SHIELD Coulson had rebuilt and so she had felt quite at home with this assignment, despite the unpleasant nature of having to do the debriefing of all the them.

The Avengers had announced their plans for returning to the States and Talbot, Coulson and Daisy had completed everything that they needed the group around for anyways so it was decided they would be headed back to their duties in the morning as well.


	13. A Change of Mind

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: This Chapter is going to be written almost completely from Natasha's and Bucky's perspectives since it is going to be more focused around their familial relationship.**

Chapter 12: A Change of Mind

Bucky had willingly allowed himself to be dragged off by the twins after dinner. During the meal he had managed to suggest them helping him get caught up on history as a method of bonding. Bucky suspected that Natasha realized his purposes were more than they appeared but she readily agreed Natasha even furthered his intent by pointing out that Wanda had been trying to expand on her understanding of world history since she and her brother had left Sokovia and Pietro would need to do the same as well. She suggested even starting after dinner so as to not waste any time. Bucky jumped at the opportunity and didn't think too much on how Steve would feel about it. Actually, Bucky was actively blocking the attempts his mind made whenever it drifted towards his blonde best friend, who he had more than just friendly thoughts towards. Thus, the twins found that their biological father was just as eager to spend time with them as they were with him.

Natasha already thought of Wanda as he little sister, she had decided, but she figured that if Barnes could make an effort to get to know her and the twins, regardless of his motives, she could make an effort to build an actual bond with Barnes and Pietro. Natasha's Red Room trained part of the brain told her she was getting soft and exposing herself to unnecessary pain but she pushed it aside as she had done when it came to forming bonds with the rest of the Avengers. The remaining parts left of Natalia Romanov had been fading year by year as she had first accepted sanctuary from SHIELD and then built her first real friendships with Clint and Phil. She mentally told the last bit of Natalia inside her head that if she had followed Red Room protocol to the end then she would be dead already. After that, she sat down on the sofa provided in the twins' suite and focused on the happy opportunities of the future rather than the stark, cold training of her past. It would never be fully gone from her, but she had finally decided to embrace what she had kept at arms' length for so long, even with Clint's family and Bruce. Natasha threw caution to the wind and for once in her life embraced the childish idea that she could have a family and be loved as she was if she tried.

"Ok, let's be honest here. I know that you really do want to get to know and try to be a family with us. I am good enough at reading people to know that. But that isn't your only motive in wanting to learn history with us if I'm not mistaken, and I am never mistaken," Natasha stated, looking at her father, her mind rolled that thought around before accepting it, as unfamiliar as the concept was to her.

Bucky actually looked ashamed at her accusation which surprised the twins. They really had taken his suggestion at face value, Natasha realized. Their faces actually fell a little at the idea that Bucky had an ulterior motive to spending time with them, "Don't get too upset guys. He is coming to us rather than even Steve and Steve has probably always been the most important person to him. Now, what is this about?" Natasha reassured her half-siblings before refocusing towards Bucky.

He hesitated before starting with what he felt would make them understand his reasoning for going to them rather than Steve, "You guys have no idea how much you look like my family from back in the day. Actually, now that I have actually gone through all the memories of my time as a prisoner in my own body and before that, it is shocking how obvious it is. Natasha, I figured out exactly why I managed to keep the Soldier from killing you in Ukraine. You look like Rebecca. Rikki was her nickname. Rikki was my little sister, my only sibling. Steve actually checked into it when he first woke up. He told me that she died in the '50s didn't even have a chance to marry and have kids. You look just like her except for the hair. That comes from my dad. He had fiery red curls just like yours, not as shiny but that is probably because there are better things to managed it than plan old soap. You all got the curls actually. I really love that. Wanda, you actually look identical to my mother and Pietro, well, you look like a blonde, male version of my mother. The blonde doesn't come from my family though. We didn't have a blonde among us. My grandmother on my mom's side was a gypsy who fell in love with a common man, that is what my gramps used to say."

Bucky stopped, trying to regain control of his emotions. Wanda and Pietro looked like they were both ready to cry, finally learning a little about their father's side of the family. Natasha even struggled to keep her emotions in check. The thought that she could actually learn her family history was an amazing revelation to the woman who had spent her entire youth watching any of the girls fool enough to actually ask about their parentage finding themselves looking at death. They were pitted against stronger, more advanced girls. The results were always gruesome and a grim reminder to them that 'you have no family' and that 'family and caring are weaknesses'.

Yet, sitting next to her is the living proof of the exact opposite. It had been her father's love for her aunt that had kept him from killing the daughter he didn't know existed. It had been her father's love for his best friend that had freed him from the control of Hydra altogether. It had been compassion on Clint and Phil's part that had saved her from both the Red Room and death itself. It had been her colder side and that of Bruce's that had cost her the chance at a real love. Natasha contemplated this until Bucky had finally collected himself enough to continue where he was going with his dialogue.

"Doing the 'debrief' brought my emotions to the surface. Asgardians can fix the damage to my ability to remember but not how I feel about what I remember. Actively reviewing the memories fixed that…" Bucky paused trying to find a way of phrasing the next part with potentially upsetting his children. However, Natasha beat him to the punch.

"Finally remembered that you were in love with Steve, huh?" Bucky looked at her in shock, his mouth gapping open before closing and opening again several times. Eventually she put him out of his misery. "I have a lot of training reading people. Your sudden avoidance of the one person you had previously been pretty much clinging to is a pretty good indicator that you had a big revelation earlier today. Plus, I was in the suite talking to Steve when you returned from the debrief and your carefully blank expression and neutral voice spoke louder than you may have realized. It is ok to be gay by the way. I had to explain that to Steve a while back so you probably need to know that too. Most of the world accepts that scientifically being into someone of the same sex is perfectly natural. It is found in at least 1,500 different species of animals. It is even legal to marry in the US and several other countries."

Bucky now didn't even bother to close his mouth. Eventually it was Wanda who spoke, "So you are in love with Steve? I can accept that. He is probably one of the most accepting people of who and what I am. If you had to be in love with anyone, it is better that they are also someone who is absolutely unaccepting of who we are." Pietro was quick to second this opinion and they all then waited until Bucky fully absorbed the information that not only did they realize he was gay and in love with Steve but they had also accepted it as something that was perfectly ok.

Finally, Bucky dropped his head in his hands and spoke, "Damn I need to get caught up on history. If people are this accepting of something that was a literal criminal offence when I was a kid, how much else has changed? Is Steve ok with the whole Homosexuality thing being legal now?" Bucky looked to Natasha for the answer.

"I believe his exact words were, 'Thank god', when I explained that it was legal. I had to explain it when he saw a couple of guys kiss in public. It was actually kind of funny to watch him go from curious people watching to full blown panic to absolute shock. That was a pretty exhausting day for him," Natasha smiled at the memory. Looking back, she realized that should have been her first clue that he wasn't into women. Another memory turned her smile to turn a little evil. "Though, I should give you fair warning. As my father, you should know that I have kissed him. It is even partly your fault, though before he knew you were alive."

Bucky's expression was priceless enough that Natasha pulled her phone out and snapped a picture, "That is so going to be the picture for you contact information. Don't get too worked up about it. I kissed him so that we could slip by the notice of Hydra agents and he was too shocked to even respond, not that he would have. Back to our main point though, Steve was completely jealous of us during the meeting and dinner. Add to that, Clint told me that he refused to leave your side while Eir was healing your brain and while you were in cryo he visited several times a day. He also never showed any interest in any of the extremely attractive and nice women I tried to set him up with. I say try because he never so much as agreed to a date with them. I think the results are pretty obvious, he at least likes you, if he isn't completely in love with you as well."

Bucky snapped out of his shock during Natasha presenting the evidence. He even gained a hopeful look in his eye, "You think so?"

Wanda nodded her agreement, "I think so too. Steve has always been respectful towards Natasha and I but we have never caught him eying us as some others have. He has however, taken to watching at you when you aren't paying attention. He was definitely jealous during the meeting and dinner too. He seemed very annoyed that we were taking all of your attentions."

"Wait… Who has been eying you?" Bucky allowed himself to get sidetracked, in part because he didn't want to get his hopes too high only to let them crash and in part because he realized that his protective instincts towards the three of them had already developed quite a bit even though he had only known they were his children for a day.

"Don't worry, Papa. We have set those who are disrespectful to Wanda straight. I am also sure that Natasha has corrected any fools who failed to do so as well," Pietro looked completely serious as he answered.

At this point Natasha glanced at the clock and sighed, "Ok, guys, we will have to finish this conversation some other time. It is getting late. We have an early start. Those two don't really mix. If Bucky doesn't return to his suite soon Steve may think we kidnapped him and come looking. All of these are good reasons to do get back to this when we get to Stark Tower. Actually, it is probably a miracle that Steve hasn't come hunting for his Bucky yet."


	14. A Change of Perspective

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: This I the other side of what happens after dinner. It is Steve's Perspective.**

Chapter 13: A Difference in Perspective

After dinner for Steve was very different. He went back to his room completely irritated and unable to rationalize why. He couldn't comprehend why it irritated him that Bucky was spending time with Wanda, Natasha and Pietro. They were his children, there was literally reason for him to be jealous. Yes, he could admit it, at least to himself, that he was completely jealous of the three of them. He had spent the better part of three days monopolizing Bucky while he recovered from the seizures and felt guilty that he enjoyed not having to share Bucky. Now, it was blatantly clear things would change and Steve hated the idea of that.

He knew Bucky and he knew him well. Family was very important to his best friend. It always had been. This causes his mind to become side tracked at a thought. He went over to the photo album that Tony had given Bucky and flipped through the pages. In it there was a picture of Bucky's sister, Rikki, when she visited them. Howard had flown her over so to reassure the girl after Steve had rescued Bucky. Col. Philips had already sent a condolence letter to her before he had managed to rescue Bucky so Stark had offered to get her so she could see in person that her brother was fine. Looking at the black and white photo he felt the urge to bang his head against the breakfast bar. He had no idea how he hadn't seen the resemblance before. It was probably because he didn't think about the idea of Bucky having surviving family after looking into what happened to Rikki. He hadn't actually interacted with Natasha before the Avengers, except for very briefly when he first woke up. By the time the Avengers formed he hadn't really thought about why Natasha looked familiar, writing it off as his first interaction with her. He closed the album after confirming that Nat did look almost identical to Rikki.

Steve now felt a little guilty about being jealous. In addition to Nat looking like Rikki, thinking further back, Pietro and Wanda looked like Bucky's mother, Winifred. He didn't have a picture to confirm it but his memory was sharp enough that now that he actually was thinking about it, it was painfully obvious. Just as he was about to head to the twins' suite, mostly to apologize for being childish he heard a knock on the door. Opening it he found Sharon Carter holding a box. She smiled awkwardly and gestured to be let in.

"Hey, what's up?" Steve asked, uncertain how to handle Sharon. He hadn't thought about her since she had gotten his, Bucky's and Sam's gear back for them, when she had kissed him.

Sharon set the box down on the coffee table and then turned to look at him, her face serious, "We need to talk. About the kiss we had and why I am an idiot."

Steve raised his eyebrows at her before gesturing for her to sit, "I suppose we can talk." He said uncomfortably. He chose to sit on the chair rather on the couch with her.

Sharon gave him a weak smile before beginning, "So… when I kissed you, I thought that we had some chemistry. I realize now that it was just on my part, not yours. I didn't get why you didn't try contacting me after the dust had settled. That is, I didn't get it until I went through great-aunt Peggy's stuff. My dad had been doing most of the organizing but when he found this box he asked me to give it to you. He said it was yours but didn't elaborate. So, when Tony contacted me about helping collect all the files and stuff from Siberia I jumped at the chance, Tony said he was bringing it to you. I thought that I could get you the box and spend some time with you." Sharon paused to take a deep breath.

"I thought it was a fantastic idea… Right up until Tony started with the Bucky being your boyfriend commentary. At first, I wanted to dismiss it, but you blushed. Everyone saw it. Everyone thought the same thing. 'Is Tony right? How did I miss that?' So I thought, what the hell, maybe there will be a clue in the box. Sorry, I looked through it. I also saw all the oh so almost flawless sketches of Bucky. Sure there were a few of Aunt Peggy and the rest of the Commandos, but the ones of Bucky were different than the others. It looks like you knew every line and scar on him. I am even willing to bet you have a new sketch book with a bunch of new pictures of him since he woke. Damn did I feel stupid after that. Don't worry, no hard feelings. I realize you were just being the super nice guy you are and weren't really flirting now," The second pause was longer as she stared at the box before standing. "I will leave you alone now. I hope we are still friends, despite me being oblivious to your real feelings."

Steve stood as she started to leave, "Sharon… I'm sorry. I didn't know what to say after you kissed me and…" Steve stopped when Sharon held up her hand.

"It's ok, as Aunt Peggy would say, I was barking up the wrong tree. She told me she had tried to start a relationship with a guy who wasn't into her like that once and that it was a mistake to chase something she instinctively knew she was never going to get. I think I get what she means now. You can't make someone look at you when they are already in love with someone else," Sharon smiled sadly once more before opening the door and closing it softly behind her.

Steve sat back in the chair and looked at the box. Now he felt both relieved and guilty for an entirely different reason. He had cared for both Peggy and Sharon. He just knew that it was more like how he would feel towards sisters if had had them rather than lovers. Having kissed both women, Steve knew that he had never really had any romantic feelings towards them. He had kissed all of three women, all of whom were extremely attractive in the esthetic sense but none had actually appealed to him on a personal level. He stood and picked up the box, setting it on the Breakfast bar without opening it. He figured he could do that when he didn't have a risk of being interrupted. Just as he set it down another knock sounded on the door. This time it was Tony, smirking and holding what looked like a six pack of Asgardian Ale that Thor may have given him.

"Hey, I figured you could use a little stress relief after talking with Carter. I noticed that she had come in here earlier and then left looking more than a little unhappy. Had to break her heart and tell her that you were in love with Barnes?" Tony asked as he glanced at the box and sitting at the bar rather than the couch as people normally would.

"Bucky and I aren't in a relationship any more complex than being best friends," Steve sighed as Tony opened the box and pulled out the top sketch book and started to flip through it before freezing.

"Is this what dad looked like during WWII?" Tony asked holding up the picture before moving on through the sketch book without waiting for a response. "You know, for a guy not in love with Barnes _there are a LOT of pictures of the guy._ Very detailed pictures."

Steve moved to take the sketch book and Stark let him but grabbed another from the box and put distance between himself and Steve now as he flipped through the second book, "Oh, look here, big shocker, a lot more pictures of Barnes. Is this one of him sleeping?" Tony now had Steve thoroughly pissed as he pulled the second book from Tony and put both sketch books back into the box and closed the box firmly.

Steve turned, his back to the box and glared at Tony, "What are you really here for Tony?"

"I am here to help. Have a drink, talk, help you come to terms with your feelings for your bestie," Tony answered, returning to the bar and pulled out a bottle and handed it to Steve. "Only Asgard's finest. I had Thor pick it up when he went to return Eir back home. She wasn't really necessary anymore, Barnes's brain is all fixed now she said."

Tony took a bottle for himself and moved over to the couch, gesturing for Steve to follow. Steve glared at Tony before opening the bottle and joining him in the chair he had been in previously. Once he was sitting Tony continued, "Listen, I know you are probably annoyed but I am going to be serious for a minute and tell you a story so be patient. When I was 15 I asked my mother how she could stand my dad leaving all the time to go on his little quests for you and she told me something that will be burned in my head for a life time.

"My mom told me that when my dad purposed to her that he told her about a love story that she swore transcends any other, even though it ends, or at least she and my dad did, in tragedy. My dad told her about two guys from Brooklyn who were in love with each other, both without the other knowing it. One went to war while the other was too sick and weak to do so. So the sick one gets this scientist and my dad to make him super strong and healthy so he can go fight with the man he loves. He doesn't tell the scientist that, but that was part of his reason. My dad said that he and the scientist succeeded. They made the weak Brooklyn kid healthier than any other human and strong as an ox.

"But, the scientist died and the now healthy, strong Brooklyn kid still isn't allowed to fight in the war. Instead he has to play pretend on a stage for an audience. Eventually, he gets to go overseas to 'boost moral for the troops'. When he is there he learns that the infantry his best friend, the man he loves, were mostly all in a POW camp. That there was little to no chance of a successful rescue. The Brooklyn kid doesn't accept this so he gets my dad and a pretty government agent to fly him over the enemy airspace. He bails out of the plane and has my dad turn around when it gets too great, the kid goes in on his own. He frees an _entire POW camp on his own_. He does this all because the person he loves is being held captive there. Then, he and the freed POWs destroy the camp.

"The Brooklyn kid and his friend are reunited and start fighting in the war together to get rid of the really nasty group of Nazis who had captured the friend. Neither he nor the friend mentions how they feel for the other but it is obvious to just about damned near everyone who sees them together. No one condemns either of them even though in the time they are living in it is considered illegal and immoral for one man to love another. No one condemns either because they are both heroes.

"My dad then said that on one of the missions, tragedy struck the two friends. The Brooklyn kid's friend, and love, fell from a train and died but they never found his body. A week later, on the final mission that Brooklyn kid had, he chose to put a plane in the water and going down with it, rather than bailing out after giving his coordinates to the rest of his team. He didn't give anyone a chance to save him because he didn't want to be saved without any reason for living when the one person he loved was already dead. My dad told my mom he didn't look for that kid because he thought there was a chance that he was alive but rather because he felt that he could do his friend one last favor. You see, he knew the location where the Brooklyn kid's love had fallen from the bridge. He wanted to find the kid so that he could cremate him and bring him to that bridge. He wanted to give the two a chance to be together in death since they never got a chance in life," Tony finally finished and looked at the extremely pale face of the man his father had searched for, for decades.

Steve didn't respond to the story so Tony took a long drink from his bottle before setting it one the coffee table, "You know, I don't know if the story is completely true but it made me realize that I didn't want to face that same fate. My mom said that it had the same effect on my dad. It was why he managed to finally purpose to her, he didn't want to have to die knowing that he hadn't told her he loved her with all his heart. It was then that I realized that for all his womanizing, my dad was a true romantic at heart. It didn't even bother him that he had supported people who no one accepted."

"I don't know what to say…" Steve finally responded.

"Say that my dad's quest wasn't a fool's errand. Say that he wasn't wrong and that even though he never succeeded in finding you, his search wasn't in vain. You see, I am looking at you right now and all I can think is that there is no way my dad could have been wrong about you and Barnes. You went on a suicide mission to rescue your friend, not a whole infantry unit but one man. You gave upon living, and don't deny it, Nat has told me how reckless you have been until he reemerged. You let him beat you almost to the point of death because in the end you couldn't bring yourself to finish him even when you were in better shape than him. You tried multiple times to save him when he was beyond gone mentally. You chased him around the world, trailing Wilson behind you like a lost puppy, the poor man. I am not going to tell you that you love Bucky, but I want you to at least admit it to yourself," Tony finished his bottle and grabbed the rest of the pack. He pulled out another and set it on the bar before turning to go. "When you are ready to act on it, just say the word. I will help however I can."

Steve stared at the bottle in his hand as he listened to the door click shut as Tony left. After a few minutes he downed the bottle in one go before picking up the empty bottle Tony left on the coffee table and disposing of both. He then grabbed the full bottle Tony left and for the first time since Bucky had been pulled out of cryo he locked himself in his room. Steve had kept his mind carefully blank until he was securely in his room without anyone being able to enter. He then sat on the bed and downed the entirety of the second bottle. Asgardian Ale was stronger than human alcohol but his system didn't even allow normal alcohol to affect him at all. The Ale was just strong enough to create a mild buzz for a little while.

Then, for the first time since before Bucky had left to fight in WWII, Steve allowed himself to analyze the feelings he had for his best friend. It was shockingly easy to feel the emotions he had tried to push to the back of his mind bubble to the surface the instant he allowed them. The tears he hadn't cried in over seventy years then began to flow. Tony wasn't just right about his father being right, he was right that Steve had been denying his own basic nature. When Bucky had offered to let Steve come stay with his family after Steve's mother died, Steve hadn't refused because of pride. He had refused because he was struggling so hard to keep his feelings in check already. When he actually did end up living with Bucky he had decided to force them away. Even when he had accepted that Bucky was dead from falling from the train he had chosen death rather than facing the reality that he hadn't allowed himself to love his best friend. It Tony's story about Howard's story was true then he had been the biggest idiot on the planet. Still feeling the buzz when the tears had finally ran their course, Steve shot off a text to the cell he had sent to Tony. It read, 'Ok, You're right… Now what?'


	15. Making Plans

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 14: Making Plans

When Bucky returned to his and Steve's suite he found the main area empty. He shrugged and went to his room to change before going to Steve's room. Bucky had dropped all pretense of trying to sleep away from his friend after the third day and knew that if he changed his pattern it would tip Steve off to the shift in his knowledge of his feelings for him. He frowned when he found the door to Steve's room locked. He tried knocking without getting a response and then sagged a little at the idea of sleeping in his own bed. Eventually, he did head back to his own room and curled up forlornly in the bed.

Even though he hadn't had nightmares for the past two nights, this night they came back with a vengeance. He didn't end up wandering into Steve's room in his sleep since the door was locked but come morning when Steve emerged, he found Bucky curled up on the floor next to his door. Bucky had reacted the instant the door opened but it wasn't a positive one. He was on his feet and in his room in seconds, not even reacting when Steve knocked and called out to him. After waiting a half hour in the hopes that Bucky would come out, Steve finally went down to the gym to work out with the rest of the people there for the last time before they returned to New York.

Nat and Wanda asked where Bucky was, Steve said he didn't know why but Bucky didn't want to join them that morning. The two women shared knowing looks and then Natasha went back to pushing her little sister to get into better shape. Natasha actually felt a little thrill every time she thought of Wanda as her little sister, Pietro her little brother or Bucky as her father, though that last bit was a bit more awkward than the other two since visibly there wasn't any real age difference between herself and her father. Pietro was a flash on the innermost ring of the track, going at his own pace for the day since Bucky wasn't there to dictate how much he should moderate his speed. Even Tony had joined the group that morning, although it was halfhearted at best for his part. At 6 they all split up as usual to head back to their rooms. Steve found Bucky sitting on the couch going through the photo album that Tony had given him. There was scrambled eggs, fried veggies and bacon on a plate that Bucky ate from absentmindedly. A second plate was already made up for Steve so he only took a quick shower.

When Steve came out Bucky put away the album and set it on top of the case containing the as of yet untested sniper rifle, "Do we know if I am supposed to be taking the clothing T'Challa put in here for me or am I supposed to leave those?" Bucky's voice made it clear he wanted to pretend there wasn't anything wrong even though Steve could tell by the tension in Bucky's shoulders that his guard was up.

"Tony said that he already got some clothing for to wear back at the Tower. I would take a few days' worth of clothes though because we're going to the Barton farm first. Wanda was serious about helping with the helping with fixing that cow paddock fencing," Steve tried to be as casual as possible in the hopes his Bucky would relax. He then realized that he was now thinking of Bucky as 'his' and wasn't sure if that was the best idea. Especially now that Bucky was acting strangely.

He really hoped that Stark had a plan on how to let Bucky know how he felt because he wasn't certain how to handle anything now that he was allowing himself to actually feel the full extent of how much he loved Bucky. It was the reason he had left his door locked the night before and hadn't responded when Bucky had sought entry. He didn't trust himself not to act on his feelings at the moment with them so close to the surface. Bucky had simply nodded after cleaning his plate and the silverware before disappearing back into his room.

T'Challa had dropped off duffle bags for them to carry their things in when they left and Bucky made an effort to pack his clothing slowly while he listened to Steve move about the suite. When Steve finally moved to his room to pack Bucky quickly exited his room and put Tony's gifts into the duffle before siding it onto his shoulder and grabbing the rifle case. He waited until he was at the door before calling out to Steve that he was heading down to the hanger. Bucky didn't even wait for a response before leaving. Steve now knew for a fact that something was wrong. The change in behavior had happened as soon as Bucky had learnt that he had children and Steve thought that may have something to do with it.

Bucky went to hanger as quickly as possible and when he reached it he found that the only people who were there so far were Daisy and Coulson. The two were loading the boxes of files into their QuinJet, as it was actually _their_ QuinJet Bucky had learnt. Both stopped when Bucky arrived and insisted on giving him farewell hugs. Coulson's was a little more enthusiastic but he didn't make Bucky too uncomfortable. Bucky decided to help them load their stuff while he waited for everyone else to arrive.

Bucky's issue wasn't that he didn't want to be near Steve, it was the exact opposite, he wanted to get as close to Steve as possible. The night before had made it clear to him that he had become dependent on his friend to an almost horrifying level. The fact that he had regained all the emotions attached to his memory had only amplified that fact. In the end, because of the nightmares, he had resorted to getting as close as he could physically without breaking down Steve's door. He felt the full force of his shame at being so pathetic when Steve came out that morning and hadn't been able to really face him.

By the time he had finished helping Coulson and Daisy load their QuinJet, most of the others arrived. Tony and Natasha had lowered the ramps for the other two QuinJets and most of them were already on them. Bucky found he now had an uncomfortable choice. He could go on the QuinJet with Nat, Wanda and Pietro but that one also held the entire Barton clan, or he could go on the QuinJet with Tony and Steve but it would be quieter and less crowded. A glare from Nat and a head gesture decided for him. His eldest wanted him on the other QuinJet and he didn't have the fight in himself to argue with her choice. By the time that Bucky had gotten his stuff onto the QuinJet with Tony and Steve they had sealed themselves into the cockpit. Sam and Scott were the last to arrive and joined Bucky in the back. They also promptly decided to sleep and stretched out on the seating available that Bucky hadn't been in. To Bucky this indicated that it would probably be a long flight so he followed suit, both relieved and a little disappointed that Steve had decided to avoid him, even if he had done so first.

Meanwhile Nat, Wanda and Pietro had likewise sealed themselves into the cockpit of their QuinJet as well. Mostly this was to keep anyone from overhearing their conversation during the trip. Pietro had sat himself on the floor next to the door while Wanda took the copilot seat. T'Challa gave Nat the all clear to take off once the hanger roof was open and she eased the jet into the air with years of experience behind her. She then set the auto pilot and took off her head set. If Tony needed to contact her he could send a text.

"So, I was thinking, if we are to help Bucky get his man, so to speak, we should start off by cleaning him up a bit. I have seen the pictures of him back in the day and let me say, he definitely didn't look so much like a hobo," Nat started and the twins nodded in agreement.

"You should really call him Papa in private you know. I know you are thinking of him as Papa so just call him that. He will probably like it even," Pietro went completely off topic causing Natasha to look at him in annoyance.

"Are you really going to push this? It is just a title you know," Natasha responded before getting knowing looks from both twins before Wanda switched to a pout. "Ok, FINE… he's Papa. Now can we get back to what is important?"

"Of course, so you are suggesting a make-over for Papa? How are we supposed to get him to agree with that?" Wanda asked, relaxing into the chair.

"Well, I know Tony and I know the way he thinks. The clothing he probably got for Bu-Papa is probably going to be something completely inappropriate and we can suggest taking him out to get real clothing without him realizing it is more than us seeking more bonding time," Natasha response reasonably. "We can probably even convince him the day after we get there because it won't take very long for him to get annoyed with the flashy clothing."

"Good point. I need clothes too. I am sick of all the blue. I do wear more than just blue, thank you very much," Pietro inserted making his sisters laugh.

With the plan in place, they went on to just talking about their lives growing up. Tony was having a harder time of it convincing Steve of the success probability of his plan.

"I don't know, A kiss cam at the Yankees game? How do you know that won't backfire horribly? Shouldn't we find out if Bucky is even gay first? He dated a lot of women back in the day," Steve was skeptical of the idea.

"It is simple. I will buy you guys season tickets. I will even get tickets for Nat and the twins so it can be viewed as a family bonding thing for Bucky. Then, I call up the people running the system and let them know that if they train the cameras on you guys the second go around for the cam they may bet one of the Avengers to kiss another. I will text Nat and the twins at the beginning of the second time the do the cam and it will be just you and Bucky when they focus on you. All you have to do is explain the kiss cam to him the first time it comes up and the second give a peck on the cheek to him when it focuses on you. If he reacts well, we get them to refocus on you guys for the next round so you can get a real kiss. If he doesn't you brush it off by saying that it was the only way they were likely to leave you alone," Tony explained for the third time. He had spent most of the night coming up with the plan after Steve had sent him the text. "With any luck, he will be yours by the end of the game."

"And if he doesn't react well?" Steve was very iffy about that possibility.

"Then I tell him the same story I told you and hopefully it forces him to actually think about why pretty much every one of the Howling Commandos and Howard Stark and Peggy Carter all thought you two were gay for each other and went out of their way to protect you both despite the major taboo it was to even talk about it," Tony responds matter of fact like. "It may be that he is doing the same thing you were and suppressing the feelings because he fears losing you if he exposes them."

This debate continued through until more than half way to the Barton's at which point Steve simply decided to end the conversation. He exited the cockpit to find those in the back all sleeping. After a few seconds of debating with himself he took the seat next to Bucky who, despite being asleep, shifted to rest his head on Steve's shoulder. Steve smiled gently before relaxing into his seat and allowing himself to drift off for the rest of the trip to the farm.

 **Wakanda Facility**

T'Challa waited a full hour after the Avengers left before going down into the bowels of the facility. This area had wide but maze like halls, perfect for the one entity who dwelled in its depths. When he finally reached his destination, T'Challa put his hand on the scanner next to the door and then punched in a code. The smaller of the two doors opened to reveal a gigantic room constructed of a vibranium alloy. Inside sat a large green man who stared at a T.V. Screen. The screen showed the live feed of the camera that was trained on the hanger bay, as if hoping that those who had left would soon return.

"FRIENDS… GONE…." The Hulk stated as T'Challa entered the room.

"Yes. Per your request I didn't inform them of your presence here. They no longer believed themselves to have a reason to stay and so they are returning to their homes," T'Challa answered, not unsympathetic.

"MISS THEM…" The look of sorrow was blatant throughout Hulk's body as he slumped down and curled into a massive green ball.

"You could return to them, you know. No one is forcing you to stay here and I am certain that they would be more than happy to see you again," T'Challa had attempted to convince the Hulk to talk to Steve and the others when they had first come to Wakanda but the Hulk had been adamant in his refusal.

"NOT KNOW HOW… LIT…LITTLE GUY WON'T WAKE UP," The Hulk responded forlornly.

"And you have not slept. Perhaps if you try to sleep your other half will awaken," T'Challa had considered this idea many times but never suggested it until now. Before this point, Hulk hadn't wanted to change back but hadn't said why. "You haven't slept once since you arrived here last year. Perhaps it is time you try."

The Hulk nodded slowly before uncurling and laying back. It was almost too easy for him to let go of consciousness and with it, control of the body. T'Challa sighed in relief as he saw the massive body first shutter, then ripple as it shrunk to more normal body of a rather naked man. T'Challa took the sheet he had brought down with him and gently wrapped it around the sleeping man. He then picked Bruce Banner up and brought him to the infirmary so that he could be monitored. It was to be another month before he finally woke from his deep, self-induced slumber.


	16. Cows Just Cows

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 15: Cows… Just Cows…

When they finally arrived, despite it being an eight-hour flight from Wakanda, it was only mid-morning when they arrived because of the time difference. Steve was woken by Sam gently shaking his shoulder. This of course dislodged Bucky who was up and out of his seat the second he woke. Sam and Scott both chuckled as Bucky regained his composure. Steve stood a little bit more sedately. He stretched, thankful for the sleep since he hadn't actually slept well the night before due to a lack of Bucky. It was almost disconcerting how quickly and easily he had readjusted to sharing a bed with his friend.

Tony lowered the QuinJet down next to where Nat had set hers on the ground. They all started gathering their things for the night they were spending in the Barton home while Tony and Nat lowered the ramps of their respective QuinJets. Wanda and Pietro immediately attached themselves to Bucky once more and Steve immediately felt a spike of irritation. Laura shook her head at the Twins' antics while her children started to run around the yard exuberantly because of the length of time they had spent in the QuinJet. Everyone in Nat's QuinJet was immensely relieved that the jets they had worked much faster and more effectively than a commercial plane did. The Barton Children were incredibly energetic and such flights could take 12+ hours.

Laura had actually planned for the possibility of the Avengers all returning to her home after the last visit and thus, this time she sent Steve, Bucky and Thor into the basement for the cots she had purchased specifically for such an event. Each cot had an air mattress attached to it for maximum comfort, in addition to the two guest bedrooms, they would be able to accommodate all of the guests. After the muscle men had retrieved the cots, Laura sent them all off to collect work on the fence Clint still needed to finish while she and Natasha started the set up process for the makeshift beds.

Tony was reluctant to actually participate but a glare from both Natasha and Wanda prompted him to cooperate. Once Clint had led them all to the area of fence that still needed to be replaced they saw that he wasn't exactly replacing it so much as putting up one fence before pulling the other down. The old wood fence looked to be we beyond its years and the new fence was also to be made of wood, but with a plastic covering it to extend the life of the fence. Clint set Steve, Thor and Bucky to using their super strength to dig the holes they needed quickly. Wanda was instructed to use her powered to take the piles of wood and place them along at spaced intervals so that they would be ready to be assembled once the holes were dug. After Steve, Thor and Bucky had the first group of holes dug, Tony, Clint, Sam, Scott and Pietro started putting up the fencing with Wanda using her powers to pack the dirt firmly around the posts so that they would be destabilized any time soon. In this manner, they were more than half way done with the remaining fence work when Laura and Natasha came out and informed them it was time for a break. Tony and Scott seemed the most grateful for this as they sat down and ate the food Laura had brought them.

As they ate the Bull that was fenced in by only the old fence came wandering ever closer. Tony being Tony decided to go over near the fence for a closer look, having never seen a bull up close before. Clint and Laura quickly tried to encourage Tony to leave the bull be which he ignored. As the bull began to get more agitated by Tony's proximately, Steve, Bucky and even Natasha told Tony to put the newer fence and a healthier distance between himself and the bull. Tony ignored them, much to his detriment. The now fully angered bull decided he didn't like Tony at all and charged the man, breaking through the old and unstable fence. In a flash everyone was up and putting as much distanced between the bull and themselves. Pietro had quickly swept Tony out of the bull's way while Wanda used her magic to subdue the beast. Laura quickly called someone on her cell phone and five minutes later an extremely old man and middle aged woman came across the field, driving a tractor with a trailer towing behind it. The woman opened up the back of the trailer and watched as Wanda used her magic to force the bull into the trailer. After the bull was secured, the old man and the woman came over to join them, looking sternly at Tony.

"Well Mr. Stark, I hope you learnt your lesson. Any bull, angry or otherwise, isn't one you want to be near. We wouldn't even keep him if he wasn't so valuable in terms of what his sperm is worth," the woman stated matter of fact like.

"I'm sorry, who are you," Tony asked, completely disregarding how rude he was.

"Maria Crawford. The owner of the bull, his name is Arthur by the way, you pissed off," Maria replied annoyed now. "This is my father, Charles Crawford. We are neighbors to the Barton family."

"Now, now Maria. Don't get too worked up over a little nothing. Obviously the Avengers can handle a little bull getting angry at them. They just proved it," Charles spoke up, his voice gravelly with age. "It is an honor to meet you all. Clint is a good neighbor. So nice of him to offer to replace the fence after the last time Arthur got out. I really appreciate it. I am far too old to do the work myself and Maria is too busy with her law firm most of the time to do the work."

"It is no problem Charles. You are a good neighbor too and I have plenty of free time when I am not away," Clint smiled at the friendly old man.

"Since you are here anyways, after we finish you want to come over for dinner? As an apology for Tony provoking Arthur?" Natasha offered with a smile. "These guys should be able to finish up before then. Super powers are pretty useful for things like that."

"Only if you allow us to help with dinner. My dad is right. We do appreciate the help with the fence. Arthur can bare being kept in the coral for the rest of the day, if you really expect to finish by tonight I suppose it won't be that big of a deal," Maria smiled now, relaxing. "I'll bring a cobbler over for dessert. I'll even make sure there is enough for the egg head who decided antagonizing a bull would be a smart move."

Laura thanked the father and daughter pair and told them when they could come around to help with the meal. Then the Crawford pair drove off with the bull in tow. After that bit of excitement, Laura cleaned up the food and left all of the rest to finish working on the fence.

As expected, by late afternoon, they had completely finished. Wanda had even insisted on using her powers to pull up the old fencing and stack it in a pile, much to Clint's appreciation. With that task done, they all headed back to the house, where they were all instructed to get cleaned up. Steve, Thor and Bucky got rights to the shower first as they had gotten dirtiest digging the holes. Tony also required a shower but it was more due to the fact that in Pietro's effort to save the man, he had accidently caused the man to lose his balance when he stopped. Tony had landed in a pile of dirt. They all showered quickly as the Crawford's and Laura were almost finished with making dinner. Charles looked at those who hadn't showered and ordered them to at least wash their hands before the meal was served.

When everyone was finally seated around the table, Tony, being Tony, looked to Charles and asked, "So how is it that Clint trusts you to know who he is? Doesn't that put his family at risk?"

The old man laughed heartily before responding, "I know because I am not some blind old bat. I saw the footage of the battle of New York and Clint and Miss Romanoff weren't exactly wearing masks. It was pretty obvious who they were. As for trusting me, well, I am just an old man who can mind my own tongue. It isn't my secret to tell and Clint doesn't go around flaunting his skills in town so no one is going to ask an old man like me about him anyhow. Besides, I have to respect any man who fights alongside Captain America and James Barnes."

Bucky looked surprised that the old man recognized him which set Charles off chuckling again, "I have lived long enough to recognize a couple of war heroes back from my days serving in the Army. Hell, you boys were a legend. You need a haircut though, Sargent Barnes."

Bucky ducked his head at the admonishment. He had been thinking the same thing when he got out of the shower, "You're probably right but at the moment I'm not around any barber to do the task I am afraid."

"I can do it for you after dinner," Laura offered with a smile. "I do it for the boys all the time. No point in spending money on a haircut I can easily accomplish myself."

Bucky nodded and thanked her. As the meal continued, it ranged over several topics, the futility of some of the wars America had gotten involved in being one of them. At the end of the meal, Maria produced the promised cobbler, much to everyone's joy. After that was devoured, the Crawford pair went home after Charles had given Tony a lengthy lecture on respecting bulls and then thanked them all for saving the world multiple times. Most of the others drifted off to their rooms as it was now late. Bucky, however, was ordered by Laura to sit in a chair in the middle of the kitchen. She got to work on his hair, chopping off long locks in one go until it was a mangy mess only two inches long. This she worked on styling to a neat inch and a half long length on top with it being slightly shorter in the back. Laura smiled at him when she finished and brushed the lingering cut hair off his shirt.

"There, much better. Now, if you shave in the morning you will be really handsome," Laura winked at Bucky causing him to blush before she got to work sweeping up the hair that now encircled the chair he had been sitting in.

Bucky was sharing a room with Sam and Steve. Sam had already claimed the cot that had been set up in the room and was fast asleep, the labor of the day having worn him out. Steve also looked like he was sleeping, leaving Bucky half the bed to sleep in and facing the opposite wall. Bucky only hesitated for a few seconds before climbing into the bed carefully and positioned himself as a mirror image, facing away from Steve. He forced his breathing into a slow even rhythm to help him sleep. His breathing must have made Steve believe that he was asleep because after a few minutes of controlled breathing his friend turned over and wrapped his arms around Bucky. Bucky was careful not to tense at the change in position, it actually helped relax him further and he drifted off to sleep peacefully. The night before where he had slept only little and his mind was tormented by thoughts he kept at bay during the day. This night was far different. For the first time since he woke from cryo he dreamt of a happy memory.

 _It was Christmas, Steve wasn't sick for once and the Barnes family and the Rogers family had united to celebrate the holiday together. A teenage Bucky got up in the middle of the night and dressed while his mother Winifred woke and dressed Rikki for Christmas midnight Mass. Steve and Sarah were already up and ready, having slept over the night before. Bucky and Steve passed under the entryway to the living room and got called short before going any further. Sarah Rogers pointed up and the boys both noticed the mistletoe and blushed. Bucky quickly kissed Steve's cheek who did the same before the entered the room, both beet red. Sarah smiled gently as they waited for Rikki and Winifred._

 _He was sitting in the church, Steve on one side and Rikki on the other. Their mothers were on the outsides of their little group. The priest spoke of how Jesus was born and sacrificed for all man's sin. Bucky briefly wondered if that covered being in love with his best friend and hoped it did._

 _They were sitting around the table, all having opened their meager presents and smiling happily. After Bucky's mother prayed over their dinner Bucky silently ended his own with the tagged on prayer for Steve to grow strong and healthy. It wasn't a selfish prayer so Bucky had no reason to think why it would offend god to ask for it._

 _He was now sitting at a very different table, much older and looking his best friend in the eye. A feeling of both relief and sorrow washed over him. His friend would never suffer from poor health again. What had been done to him guaranteed that. It also meant that there was no way Steve would ever feel the same way he felt for him. The serum would have fixed any chance of that. He instantly felt guilty for such a selfish thought before Steve draped a friendly arm over his shoulder and he decides he doesn't care. Steve will always be his best friend, no matter what._

When Bucky woke he realized three things. The first was that he had slept through the night if the bright morning light was any indication of time. The second thought was that at some point during the night he had turned around and was now cuddling deeply into Steve's chest. The third was that Steve was definitely awake as well and seemed to be more than happy to stay in that position.

"Morning," Steve whispered softly when he realized Bucky was awake and slowly pulled away, much to Bucky's disappointment.

"Hey, what time is it?" Bucky whispered back.

"Not sure, but Sam is already up any gone so I think we may have slept in a bit," Steve's voice was now a little louder as he sat up, Bucky following suit. "Sorry about the cuddling by the way. I woke up with us like that and it was comfortable so I didn't feel like moving."

Bucky felt a sliver of dismay at the apology. It implied that it didn't mean to Steve what it meant to Bucky. This prompted him to get up and leave the room to relieve himself and join the rest of the Avengers for breakfast. He missed the equally disappointed look on Steve's face when he didn't contradict what Steve said, choosing to leave instead.

 **Author's Note: This lovely bit of humor, or at least the bit with the bull, was inspired by two of my sisters getting chased into some trees by a Bull last week while hiking. They spent two hours hiding in said trees before managing to escape the episode unscathed. I thought a little levity was needed as Steve and Bucky start struggling with their emotions.**


	17. Adventures in New York

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: As it is a lot of, in my opinion, pointless effort to find how to translate entire conversations into different languages when most people who can read said languages will likely be offended by any sloppy and pathetic attempts on my part, all Russian will be in italics** _like this_ _ **.**_ **Also, I apologize in advance for any mistakes made in how a fine gentleman's tailor would behave or do their actual work. I am not male, have never been fitted for any sort of fancy clothing and am not in the slightest fashion inclined. Thus, my overview of such will be brutally swift.**

Chapter 16: Adventures in New York

After all the Avengers had finished the breakfast that Laura, Wanda and Sam had made, all but the Barton clan all climbed back into the QuinJets, which were much less crowded this time. It was also only an hour to reach Stark Tower meaning that they all just talked as they waited to reach their current primary residence, the other currently being under construction. Tony had insisted that Bucky sit in the cockpit so that he could tell him all about everything the Tower had to offer. By the end of the flight to the Tower Bucky felt a strange urge to torment the man for hours as revenge and a not so strange urge to completely ignore the man in all future interactions.

The urge to torment Tony went to the urge to commit brutal murder to the man when he entered the rooms given to him and decided to see what kind of clothing Tony had gotten him, at Natasha's suggestion. The pants didn't even look like they would fit Bucky, they appeared to be so small compared to his waist. The shirts were all intentionally one size too small and had crude quotes on them like 'I love sucking Capsicles' and annoying ones like 'Property of Captain America, if lost _Please_ return'.

Natasha and Wanda had decided to join Bucky knowing what to expect from Tony and hoping to put their plans into action immediately. Nat actually had to hold her laughter at some of the inscriptions on the shirts. It was actually a pretty even mix of fan paraphilia and custom made shirts. Nat wouldn't have been surprised if Tony had really only gotten Bucky variations of these flashy bits of clothing and hadn't bothered to even think of more formal dress, such as what Bucky would need for a Gala that was being held in three weeks' time.

"Well, I would save the Property of one and trash the rest. Wanda, go get Tony's credit card. He can pay for actual clothing for Papa," Natasha smirked as Bucky sighed, realizing that the twins had finally convinced her to call him papa as well. He wouldn't be surprised it Tony and Sam started calling him that in jest. "We have nothing to really do today. Oh, get Pietro too. He said he wanted new clothes too. We can make a shopping trip of it."

Bucky didn't even bother to resist his two daughters as he was pulled up to the common floor where Tony waited expectantly, his card in hand and a smirk on his face, "I hope you are keeping the Capsicle one. That was my favorite. Nat, I already had F.R.I.D.A.Y. put in a call to my tailor for you. Pietro will need a suit and tux too."

Natasha rolled her eyes as Wanda gleefully seized the card and slipped it into her wallet, "You know we are getting stuff for ourselves as well. We will be gone all day." Wanda asserted pleased with the fact she didn't have get into a battle for said card.

"I figured you would say that. The card had a spending limit of 200,000, don't go over it or I will take it out of your allowance. Remember it is Barnes and Pietro who need clothing. You both have extensive wardrobes curtesy of me," Tony was so casual about the amount but Bucky's jaw dropped. This made Tony smile when Pietro walked into the room. "The appointment with the tailor is in a half hour so you all better hurry now."

Natasha and Wanda grabbed Bucky and Pietro and dragged them to the elevator door that was opening to reveal Steve and Sam. Their questioning looks prompted Natasha to simply state, "We are doing family bonding while getting Papa and Pietro clothes." She then pushed Steve and Sam out of the elevator before they could react and pressed the garage button.

"Papa? Oh, I am so going to be using that later," Sam commented as the elevator door closed.

Bucky glared at Natasha over the use of the title but she shrugged and pointed to Wanda, "Blame her. She and Pietro wouldn't drop it." The elevator stopped at Wanda and Pietro's floor for Pietro before heading down to the garage.

It was a private garage with a special ramp leading up to the main garage. Nat grabbed a set of keys, hit a button to lower the ramp and led the group over to a black Escalade. As she slid into the driver's seat, Bucky took the front seat and Wanda and Pietro took the back seats. As she turned on the car, she explained that Bucky needed to wear a seatbelt, much to his confusion. It took her a minute to explain what a seatbelt was as they were invented well after WWII and Bucky hadn't learnt the current laws pertaining to cars. Once that was done, Natasha addressed everyone, "Now, remember, we are going into public for a good long while today. Papa is Bucky and no mention of familial ties beyond you two being twins."

Wanda and Pietro rolled their eyes and assured her that they knew that. Bucky shrugged, he had no intention of placing the three others in danger because he couldn't keep his mouth shut, " _Like I would be stupid enough to expose my children in such a way_ _ **.**_ " Bucky was blunt in his response at Natasha steered the car up the ramp before pressing a button in the car to raise it, sealing the private level once more.

" _Oh, if we are speaking Russian can we call him papa?_ " Wanda asked, eagerly.

" _No, the tailor we are going to speaks Russian fluently and you never know who else can as well. Security is important. I don't want it in the tabloids for all our enemies to learn we have such a large weakness,_ " Natasha was blunt out of necessity and Wanda sighed reluctantly agreeing.

New York City traffic was a nightmare even on the best days so Natasha was just aggressive enough to get them through it without causing any major issues or drawing police attention. Twenty minutes later, they pulled into a public parking garage near where the tailor was located. It was also in a very busy, high end shopping area. Nat led them all out into the street and linked arms with Bucky so that they wouldn't be separated. Wanda and Pietro did the same and positioned themselves directly behind. A couple of minutes of walking brought them to an extremely expensive looking store front. The sign on the door read, By Appointment Only. Natasha opened the door and went directly over to the counter to address the receptionist. The man looked at the four of them suspiciously until Wanda stepped forward and placed the card Tony had given her on the counter. The man's eyes widened briefly before he stood and immediately led them through a second door. A Russian man, who Natasha addressed as Mr. Sokoloff, immediately came out from a neighboring room speaking in rapid fire Russian, " _Miss Romanoff. SO happy to see you again. How is Mr. Rogers? Come now, I see you have brought two more fine specimens of man to be outfitted by me. Yes, yes, Miss Friday made the appointment for you already."_

" _Mr. Sokoloff, please. Be calm. May I introduce, Mr. Pietro Maximoff and Mr. James Barnes. This is Mr. Maximoff's sister, Miss Wanda Maximoff,"_ Natasha introduced quickly. " _Mr. Rogers is quite well. Mr. Barnes is a very dear friend of his that has recently returned from a… prolonged absence. As you see he is in dire need of proper attire. Mr. Maximoff is in a similar state as he has also been gone for some time."_

Mr. Sokoloff nodded his head in complete understanding. His understanding turned to absolute delight when Wanda, Bucky and Pietro all addressed him in Russian. This made the man quite accommodating. He allowed Natasha and Wanda to direct exactly what they would need happily before shooing them away to do their own dress shopping at a store just down the street. Pietro and Mr. Sokoloff happily chatted away in Russian and the man had some assistants measure the two and then instructed them to change out of their current clothing and into some preselected options to be fitted more precisely to the men. Bucky and Pietro allowed themselves to be directed every which way as they were fitted for several suits. In the end, it lasted two hours and both men were more than relieved when Natasha and Wanda returned, garment bags in hand.

Mr. Sokoloff informed them he had already been ordered to put the clothing on Mr. Stark's tab and once Bucky and Pietro redressed, they made a swift exit. Natasha and Wanda instructed Pietro to bring the garment bags back to the Escalade before joining them at a nearby café. The two woman steered Bucky towards the café without waiting for Pietro knowing it wouldn't take him long to catch up. Just as they passed an alleyway a car backfired and Bucky reacted instantly, within seconds both women were behind Bucky, with him between them and where the noise had emanated from. He was getting funny looks as people passed by and Natasha burst into laughter. Her laughter caused Bucky to realize what had actually happened and relax briefly before tensing again. Pietro approached, confused at what had Nat laughing so hard.

It was only through her chuckles and that of Wanda's that he got the story. Pietro simply nodded his understanding to Bucky and rolled his eyes at his sisters' amusement. Once the girls had calmed, they made the rest of the way to the café. Natasha had noticed that Bucky had remained tense throughout their walk and tensed even further when a short, dumpy looking man entered the same café and sat near them, " _Wanda, Pietro, you two shift a little closer together. Let me take a picture."_ Natasha stated suddenly as she pulled out her phone and fiddled with it for a moment. The twins did as ordered, smiling.

After she had taken a couple of shots, Natasha switched her phone over to the pictures and handed it to him with a smile as if sharing the pictures, " _This man was following us when we entered Mr. Sokoloff's wasn't he?'_

" _Yes, do you know him?"_ Bucky responded quickly, relieved that he wasn't the only one to make the man tailing them.

" _No, I am going to send a picture to Tony. Wanda, Pietro, look at the picture, memorize this face. We don't want any surprises later,"_ Natasha ordered, handing her phone over to the twins, still pretending that they were having a pleasant conversation rather than worrying about the man who had been tracking them. The twins caught on as soon as the first Russian words had been spoken thankfully and happily pretended to examine the pictures that hadn't been taken of them but rather the man sitting behind them.

Once the twins finished examining it thoroughly, Natasha took her phone back and shot off the photos to Tony for him to check out who was following them. If it was someone from SHIELD or a government agency then it was no big deal, just a detail making sure Bucky was following the terms of his temporary pardon. If it wasn't some government agency they would have an issue. The group paid their tab when they finished eating. Just before they left the café, Tony sent a response that made Natasha smile and relax, " _No worries. It is just a friend of Daisy's. He is no threat. Let him follow us till the cows come home. He will witness nothing but a day of shopping._ "

Bucky nodded, relaxing but not quite as much as Natasha, still having a harder time trusting anyone outside the small group of people that was his children and Steve. Natasha quickly led them into a less fancy store and made them all embrace the shopping trip, talking in Russian mostly if it didn't include a cashier or store clerk. By mid-afternoon they had gotten Bucky and Pietro enough clothing to last them for a few months without wearing the same thing twice. Natasha and Wanda had also gotten their share of clothing. The back of the Escalade was full as Natasha drove them back to Stark Tower, happy with the results of their expedition. On the drive back, Tony called asking if everyone was up for Chinese and Bucky and Pietro sent Wanda into another fit of giggles from their confusion over the conversation that neither understood fully.

Their return trip took a bit longer due to rush hour traffic. When they did Steve and Tony were waiting to help them unload the clothing. It took two trips for all of them before all the bags of clothing was loaded into the elevator. After that everyone got off on their own floor, which resulted in only half the bags being gone by the time the twins exited by themselves. Steve had doggedly followed Bucky off on his floor and helped him unpack and put away the new clothing. Steve also caught a sight of the shirts Tony had initially gotten Bucky and sighed, figuring that he would have to speak to the man later about the art of subtlety.

After all the clothing was put away, Bucky allowed Steve to lead him up to the common floor. By this point he was rather exhausted and was hoping that he would be able to retreat to his rooms for privacy after the meal. This was exactly what happened, Bucky was allowed to leave once he finished despite Tony's childish protests and demands that he model the clothing bought on Tony's dime.

Steve moved to follow Bucky but was told to stay. Bucky was careful to lock the door to both his suite and his bedroom. Now that there had been a little bit of separation between himself and Steve, he realized how dependent he had quickly become in the one week since he was awake and fully himself. Instinctively, Bucky knew that such dependency was unhealthy and it occurred to him once again just how much that the Asgardian healer had done to prevent a lot of suffering on his part. Before Steve had finally caught up to him Bucharest, Bucky knew he had been a complete mess. His mind was neither Bucky nor the Soldier but both fighting for dominance as bits and pieces of his memory fell back into place while his mind healed. When he had pulled Steve from the Potomac River he had been only the slightest sliver of Bucky and mostly the Soldier. There was a good possibility that if Steve had caught up with him any sooner than he had, he may have actually killed his friend, the man he loved. Even now that the Soldier had been fully removed from his mind and he had all his memories he still had nightmares. Those weren't fair to force on Steve just because he was more comfortable in his friend's presence then without it.

Bucky briefly thought about asking one of the twins or Nat to be that comforting presence but quickly dismissed it. Steve was comfortable because he was everything from before the War and during it, before everything went bad and he fell from the train. Natasha, Wanda and Pietro, no matter how much and how quickly they had grown on him, were a direct product of what happened after. Steve was all things light while his children were tainted, even if only in the smallest degree, by the darkness that had held Bucky down for so long. In the end, Bucky decided to sleep by himself and hope for the best.

This ended up being difficult despite his exhaustion from the day. When he finally did fall asleep, it was restless and he quickly descended into nightmares. F.R.I.D.A.Y. had been informed by Tony to alert Steve, Nat, Wanda and Pietro if there were any disturbances in Bucky's room during the night. From the time Bucky went to sleep until around 2 am, while Bucky was restless, he stayed in his bed. When his vitals suddenly elevated and Bucky shot out of his bed just after 2 am, Steve and the others were woken. F.R.I.D.A.Y. unlocked the rooms remotely for Steve who was quick to respond, being just across the hall. He found himself being immediately assaulted by a sleep walking Bucky.

It was obvious that Bucky was trapped in a nightmare, fighting some unseen foe but Steve was present and thus he became the target of the vacant eyed sleep walker. Steve intentionally went easy on Bucky, knowing the man wasn't actually aware of what was happening while attempting to wake his friend. This route of action had resulted in more than one hit being landed on the blonde from Bucky's metal arm. Eventually Bucky's sleeping form had him pinned and Bucky was about to punch Steve again when he was suddenly wrapped in a reddish glow, his arm drawn back and poised to strike. Wanda slowly walked closer to Steve and the now immobilized and sleeping Bucky. She spoke carefully, being followed by Pietro who entered behind her and Natasha was off to the side, prepared to go in to relieve Steve of the combat if Wanda lost her magical control of their father. After Steve glanced over to see his rescuer, he turned back to Bucky and while still pinned, he was able to free an arm and he used it to carefully lower the red wrapped arm back to the ground.

Steve started to mutter soft reassurances to Bucky who was actively fighting the bonds of Wanda's magic in his sleep. A few more minutes lapsed until suddenly Bucky froze all his resistant movement completely and his eyes widened in shock, "Steve?" He croaked out pathetically.

Steve nodded slowly while Wanda finally released her father from her magical hold, "It's ok Buck, you just had a nightmare." Steve reassured Bucky as the man collapsed onto him when Wanda relinquished her hold over him. Bucky started sobbing into Steve's shoulder which resulted in both the twins instantly rushing over to embrace the man from behind. Steve now found himself under a pile of bodies, Natasha choosing not to pile on too but still resting her arm over her brother and sister in a sign of familial support.

It was this way that Tony found them ten minutes later, Bucky still sobbing, and Steve effectively pinned in a way he had never been before. Tony struggled to restrain his laughter at the sight but just barely managed to do so, "You know, I think it would probably be more comfortable to have your family love session on, oh I don't know, the bed, a couch, pretty much anywhere other than the hard wood floor." Tony finally remarked when he managed to gain enough control over his humor.

Natasha glared at the man before extracting herself from the group and gently pulling Wanda off as well. She finally realized that it would likely be best if they didn't suffocate Steve in a pile of super powered people. It would be very difficult to explain to everyone else. Pietro also slowly and gently pulled away from Bucky and Steve before helping Steve shift the still sobbing Bucky so that he could sit up. For the last ten minutes they had all heard Bucky only managing to mutter, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm sorry, please don't leave." It was heart wrenching to know that even if Bucky seemed to handle most of the day to day events that they went through, he had a lot of demons to battle at night.

Eventually, Bucky cried himself back to sleep and Steve returned his unconscious friend to his bed. When Bucky refused to let Steve go, even in his sleep, Steve just crawled right into the bed with him. What he didn't expect was Natasha and Wanda claiming the bed in the spare bedroom of the suite and Pietro settling himself on the couch. He suddenly realized that even if some how he did manage to win over his best friend, he would have to share him with three other very important people to both of them. To Steve, Nat, Wanda and Pietro were colleagues and friends. To Bucky, they were all he had left of his family, a symbol of what he had lost and of a tangible source of love that would, to all appearances, not waiver, regardless of what happened. Natasha, Wanda and Pietro had been so starved of parental love that they had latched onto the only available and reasonable option. Bucky was their biological father and was willing to embrace them so they leapt at the chance of what it represented, a real, flesh and blood family, no matter how it had been created.


	18. The Morning After

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: This an apology in advance. This next week I may be a little sporadic with the updates. It is the week leading up the 4** **th** **of July and in the US that means Bakers have to work longer hours because people like their pies, cookies and rolls for their barbeques.**

Chapter 17: The Morning After

Bucky was disoriented in the morning. He found himself wrapped securely in Steve's arms, when the night before he was certain that he had carefully secured both doors to his rooms. Steve had flinched when Bucky moved and Bucky realized that Steve's face had several bruises on it. In a flash, he was in the corner of the room, hyperventilating. His mind only barely registered the feminine tone of the AI but was completely unaware of what it said. As he panicked, his mind pulled forward the events of the night before, he only remembered the last bit, but it was enough for him to know that he had attacked Steve and that was the last thing he wanted. In the throes of the panic attack he didn't register as Steve had gently shifted him into his arms, now being quite skilled after a full week's practice of doing that exact act.

What finally did register was not Steve's voice but Wanda's speaking a fairy tale in Russian. The girl's voice was so much like his mother's, even if it was speaking a different language, that he had detached from Steve and clung almost childlike to Wanda. It didn't help that the girl looked as well as sounded like his mother. In seconds of being in her arms, Bucky was fast asleep. Wanda now looked completely clueless about what to do. Eventually, it was Steve who suggested her allowing him to help her lift her father and put him back into the bed. The process was awkward and once more Bucky refused to relinquish the person he was clinging to. Wanda was forced to get into the bed with Bucky and allow him to cuddle her. Glancing at the clock, Natasha saw that it was only 3:30 in the morning and signaled for everyone to go back to sleep. Steve took the couch this time while Natasha joined Bucky and Wanda in the king sized bed and let Steve and Pietro take to spare bed.

The rest of the early morning hours were quiet, Bucky finally sleeping soundly. Sam came searching for everyone when they hadn't shown for the early morning work out by 7 am. He didn't know what was more surprising, Natasha and Wanda curled around the sleeping Bucky who was now sprawled out on the bed or Steve and Pietro somehow curling up together as well. After snapping black mail pictures of the aforementioned scenes before him, he slipped back out of the room and told F.R.I.D.A.Y. to wake them in 15 minutes.

Tony was surprisingly awake when Sam got to the Common floor and Sam debated for a second before deciding against showing the pictures to the billionaire. They may both share an amusement for pranks but Natasha and Wanda were both scary women and Pietro could probably kill him before he had a chance to defend himself if he pissed them off. Plus, he actually didn't feel like giving Tony dirt on Steve, even if it was as innocent as Steve and Pietro shifting around in their sleep. Bucky likely had a rough night and for the first time ever, Sam was seeing someone with PTSD having a shockingly strong support base for recovery. Dr. Samson had another appointment to see Bucky the next day and Sam almost wished he could know how the amount of support given was helping him. The biggest difference from this all from normal cases was pretty large however. Bucky had gone through 70+ years of torture and mind control, Sam had never heard of a story that was a worst case scenario for developing PTSD, at the same time though, Bucky had also received treatment that no other human with the disorder had received, the Asgardian healing had done wonders on aiding the man in his recovery of both memories and control over his life and mind. There was also the promise from the Asgardian that such mind control would no longer be possible. A mind will build up resistance to any form of torture after a while if given time to heal. The only thing that had prevented the healing before was the constant reinforcement and the amount of time spent in cryo.

Tony smirked at Sam when he entered and offered the man coffee which he accepted happily. Sam actually hoped for some peace from the man before Tony opened his mouth, "So, you still don't believe me about Barnes and Steve? F.R.I.D.A.Y. told me you went to Barnes's room this morning looking for everyone."

"A) Your AI is the world's biggest gossip. She will tell you literally anything won't she? B) No, I saw absolutely no evidence of Bucky and Steve being in a relationship when I went into Bucky's rooms. I did however see a man being fully supported by his best friend and children while he struggles with the earliest parts of PTSD. You should probably reevaluate how you view things, Stark. I know you have PTSD too. You didn't even go through the slightest fraction of what that man has and yet you nearly caused an Extinction Level Event. As far as I am concerned, you should be looking to Bucky as an example of how a man should learn to cope with the pain of what he has been through," After Sam finished his lecture he realized Tony had a funny look on his face. "Sorry, you know that if you need to talk, I am available over the phone anytime. I need to eat now so that I can go back to DC and find out if I still have a job with the VA."

Tony nodded and turned away, still stunned that he had actually been called out on his immaturity. He sighed and muttered, "No, you're right. I was being an ass. Barnes does need support. That doesn't mean that I am wrong about the him and Steve thing thought."

"Steve wasn't in Bucky's bed this morning. He was in the spare bedroom. Nat and Wanda were with Bucky," Sam's words caused Tony to whip around confused.

"But he was pulled into bed with Bucky last night I saw it," Tony was adamant.

"Bucky woke up a little while later and freaked out because of the bruises. Actually, Nat and Pietro just kicked me out because they didn't want him upset by them again, now that he is really awake," Steve commented as he sat down at the counter. "Now, I just need to convince him that I don't hold him responsible for what he does in his sleep and that he didn't actually do much damage."

Sam noted the nearly completely faded bruises on Steve's arm and face, "Is there damage anywhere else?" Sam asked knowingly.

"A few on my ribs but they don't hurt anymore. They'll all probably be gone in another hour at most. Nat and the twins are going to keep Bucky occupied until then," Steve answered before turning to Tony. "So, I was thinking about that plan of yours. The baseball game one. How soon do you think we can put it into effect?"

Tony was smirking in an instant and went over to another counter where a box sat. He quickly brought it over and set it in front of Steve, "Today, if you want. I paid an excessive amount to get five sets of season tickets for you, Bucky and his kids. I figured that way we could implement it whenever I finally talked you around to it. What prompted your eagerness may I ask?"

"He locked me out last night and I just got kicked out by his kids. Right now the only claim I have is his friend. If I am stubborn it will probably backfire," Steve responded much to Sam's shock as he realized exactly what was going on.

"Wait. You are actually actively pursuing Bucky Barnes?" Sam asked for confirmation. "What about Sharon Carter? You guys kissed during that whole secret meet up."

Sam's words caused Tony to roll his eyes, "You kissed a woman in front of him? We really have our work cut out don't we."

"I didn't kiss her, she kissed me! I freeze up when someone kisses me! I have only ever been kissed four times!" Steve defended himself.

"He's telling the truth. He is a horrible kisser," Natasha added, having been present since Tony told Steve they could act that day. "So what _is_ this plan exactly?"

Steve groaned not sure how to explain his intentions to Natasha given her apparent eagerness to embrace her biological family. Tony responded for him, "We get them on the kiss cam so that Steve has an excuse to kiss Barnes and finally establish a real relationship with him."

"I approve. What are the details. I'll help," Natasha stated, sitting down next to Steve and started to pull Yankees paraphilia out of the box.

"Well, we get all of you to a ball game. They turn the Kiss cam on, Nat you get Wanda and Pietro to go get food or something. Then, when they focus on Steve and Barnes, which they will since I am going to tip them off, Steve kisses Barnes. That simple."

Natasha seemed to analysis the plan before pointing out on issue, "What if Steve freezes?"

"You think Barnes won't take advantage if he has the shot?" Tony pointed out knowingly. Natasha nodded her agreement before accepting collecting the box.

"Fine. I will tell Papa and the twins," With this she left, box of shirts, sans the one for Steve, in hand.


	19. Take Me Out to the Ball Game

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: I know virtually nothing about baseball other than the fact that there are balls, bats, pitchers, hitters, innings and plates. Please don't hold it against me if I get some facts wrong. Also, I don't support any baseball team (yes, I know true blasphemy for a US Citizen but not all of us actually care that much) so it is all written without bias, I am only using the Yankees because I know them as the resident New York team and that the Brooklyn Dodgers are no longer a Brooklyn team.**

Chapter 18: Take Me Out to the Ball Game

Bucky wore a huge grin on his face as the group navigated the seating of the stadium. The team may have been different and the stadium may have been much fancier, but the atmosphere was the same. Steve was walking in front of him and Natasha and the twins behind him. A small part of him worried about what had happened the night before but he was in too good a mood to let it get to him.

Steve glanced back and gave a happy smile in return. He was just as pleased, though for a different reason. He was surprisingly confident in Tony's plan. He froze when women kissed him but that was mostly because he was nervous and awkward around them. He never had that issue with Bucky. They also had amazing seats in the stadium. Center Left Field was the optimal place to catch a homerun and Steve hoped they would have the chance to do so. He felt a little weird supporting the Yankees rather than the Dodgers but Tony had explained that the Dodgers had moved to LA and it wasn't like he could be attached to a team for its locality when it was no longer local and there weren't any players to remain loyal to since they had long since retired or in most cases were dead.

Bucky was glad he had allowed Natasha and the twins to talk him into going to the game. Natasha was grinning not because she cared about the game, she didn't, she only cared that she could see two people she cared about, one as a friend and the other as family, finally get their chance at love together. The twins were mostly reveling in bonding with their sister and father. They knew this was something that Bucky had done a lot back before WWII and if he wanted to share this with them, they were eager to try it. That was another thing that made Bucky smile. The twins and Natasha seemed truly eager to actually get to know him because he was their father. It still felt a little strange to have three fully grown children without having done anything to earn them. The fact that they were all super heroes despite the troubles of their pasts made him hope just a little that it was because that part of they that came from him was good enough to overcome all the bad that had happened in their lives. He knew it was selfish to think that way but it helped ease some of his guilt at not being there for them even though there was literally no way he could have, never knowing they existed until they found out recently.

Steve sat towards one end of the five seats that had been provided and Bucky took the seat next to him. After a few minutes bickering, Wanda got the other seat next to Bucky and Pietro was between her and Natasha, who was on the end. Bucky gave Wanda a grin, "I see you won the battle. Want me to explain the game?"

"I only won temporarily. Natasha has insisted we rotate who sits next to you. Also, yes, I would very much like for you to explain this game. The only sport we were really interested in was Futball. Americans call it soccer here. Unfortunately, we did not have a very good team in Sokovia," Wanda looked around curiously.

"Count yourself lucky that you have the opportunity to watch any sports growing up. I was instructed on the specifics of all there is out there but we didn't exactly have a lot of time to watch games of T.V. When it came to learning a sport it was ballet, dance and martial arts. Those were all taught for extremely practical reasons," Natasha put in, not caring about the game that hadn't started yet but enjoying the atmosphere.

"Dance and Ballet aren't sports," Pietro scoffed.

Natasha smacked Pietro on the back of his head. It was much to his surprise that Bucky responded though, "Ballet requires 8 hours of practice a minimum of four times a week, and like most athletes, if they are professionals, their careers usually only last until their mid-30s. Dance can be equally difficult. Also, unlike soccer and other sports, most Ballet performers have to start learning at age 7. I don't know where that came from."

"It is possible some Red Room scientist mentioned it around you without thinking about it. Since they wiped your memory so often, it is probably just coming up as latent information," Natasha offered a reasonable explanation. "What are they doing?"

The players had just filed out onto the field and a group of people in uniform came out and unfurled the American flag. People stood as the first cords of the national anthem played. Bucky forced Wanda to stand and so she forced Pietro and he pulled Natasha up as well. Steve ordered them to pull off their ball caps and put them over their hearts. Natasha rolled her eyes but did what she was told. Bucky and Steve did it proudly, singing the song in full. Wanda and Pietro looked confused while Natasha looked bored. After they finished the song, everyone sat and some remotely famous person that no one could be bothered to name 'threw the first pitch'. After that, Bucky launched into an explanation for Wanda and Pietro about what was happening in the game. Steve and Bucky seemed to be the two who got the most into the game and by the bottom of the second inning the twins were following what was happening easily.

Natasha received a text from Tony warning her that they would be doing the kiss cam at the end of the inning and so when the Yankees had their third strike Natasha ordered the twins to help her to go get concessions. She had informed them during the course of the day what the plan was so they followed her eagerly. When Bucky offered to help Natasha turned him down, saying he should just talk with Steve. Steve felt his heart beat quicken, knowing that Natasha leaving with the twins meant that it was almost to put Tony's plan into action. When the first people popped up on the screen and kissed Bucky looked confused.

"It's a kiss cam… It-It's something new that they a-added years ago," Steve gulped nervously as more people appeared on the screen and kissed. "If you appear on it your supposed to k-k-kiss the person next to you."

Bucky looked at Steve, now completely confused as to why his friend was so nervous. He turned back to the screen just before his and Steve's face popped up on the screen as expected. Steve froze and Bucky's jaw dropped. A second later he decided to act on impulse and go with it. Bucky turned to Steve and pulled him in for a kiss on the lips. Steve stiffened even further because of nervousness. When Bucky pulled away the camera was already on another couple and Steve's face was beet red. Steve was also as stiff as a concrete wall. Bucky frowned at how uncomfortable Steve looked and felt his spirits fall as he thought that Steve must have not wanted to kiss him, "S-sorry, you said… I thought I was supposed to…" Bucky couldn't finish his sentence as he looked away, now upset.

"N-no, It's ok…" Steve stuttered out now realizing by freezing he had given the wrong impression to Bucky. "I-I did say that…"

Natasha and the twins came back before Steve could finish, all holding drinks and food for everyone. In the shuffle to get the food sorted, Bucky managed to get his seat shifted down two and now had Natasha and Pietro between himself and Steve. The others noticed Bucky's sudden shift in mood but tried to brush it off. Pietro and Wanda immediately chose to ask questions about the mechanics of the game while Natasha looked at Steve instead. The large, well-muscled man looked like he wanted to merge with the chair he was sitting in, he was so uncomfortable.

Natasha eyed the twins and Bucky, noting that the twins had her father suitably distracted with questions about why it was necessary to eat hot dogs at baseball games. At this she felt secure in questioning Steve, "What happened?" She may have been a little harsh in her whisper but considering how uncomfortable Steve and Bucky had looked when they had come back with food.

"Tony's plan was stupid. I froze," Steve blushed even more, knowing that Bucky had kissed him for real, not just because of the dumb camera.

"I did warn you about that. Did he not kiss you?" Natasha was a little annoyed but was careful to keep her voice low enough that only Steve could hear.

"No, he kissed me all right. I froze when we popped up on the screen and I was like the artic tundra when he kissed me…" Steve frowned but still red in his humiliation.

Natasha sighed in irritation and pulled away from the man who fumbled a perfect opportunity. She shot off a quick text to Tony about the results. Tony's response was both colorful and original in its expletives. He also recommended a second attempt before Natasha explained that Bucky had now placed distance between himself and Steve. She then decided to have Tony get them to put them all on the screen and do a bunch of kissing on the cheek to make it seem more casual for Bucky who seemed to really be upset by everything. Tony assured her that he would have it covered. During the intermission for the 4th inning Nat dragged Wanda to the restrooms and told her what had gone wrong and the new plan. The girl agreed readily. Natasha also texted the information to Pietro so that it wouldn't be as noticeable that they were attempting to communicate without Bucky knowing.

As it so happened, Pietro didn't even read the text until they returned, which made it even more convincing that they weren't hiding anything. Natasha had also gotten caramel popcorn for everyone during their break, as Bucky had insisted that it was also a baseball necessity. This resulted in another shuffle of seats with Wanda being between Bucky and Steve, and Natasha between Pietro and Bucky. Natasha was the one who organized the seating this time, manipulating everyone to sit so that there would be little embarrassment involved. Steve was completely unaware of the second kiss camera plan and Natasha wanted him to stay that way since he got so nervous with the first. Now that she thought about it, the freezing may not have been so obvious had he not already known in advance.

After the bottom of the 5th inning the Kiss cam came on again. This time they were the second people to appear and it was the whole group, not just two of them. Natasha and Wanda quickly kissed the cheeks of the men on both sides of them and with a little nudge got Steve and Bucky to reciprocate the kisses on cheeks. After that, the two women kissed each other on the cheeks as well and the camera finally moved on. The crowd was cheering as it was now apparent that several of the Avengers were at the ball game and for amusement willing to play along with the Kiss Cam. Steve seemed to relax a little after this, hoping it would ease the level of awkwardness from the first kiss. Bucky however, was now giving Natasha and Wanda suspicious looks. Wanda gave him an apologetic smile before looking back to the game and pretending nothing was out of the ordinary. Natasha figured she would have to explain what was going on after the game.

Towards the end of the game, a representative for the Yankees came by and offered to let them meet the team. Based on the expression of the man, it was obvious that he was hoping for a photo op. Natasha agreed before any of the others could object. When she got an annoyed look from Steve she simply pointed out that they could use the good publicity. The 'meeting the team members' really did end up being a photo op. It also turned out that more than a few wanted autographs from the Avengers, as they were 'The Heroes of New York'. Steve and Bucky were more popular than the rest, even though Bucky wasn't even a part of the battle of New York, because they were from Brooklyn.

As a result of this, by the time they got back to the tower, it was extremely late. Steve was also extremely pissed. Bucky had almost thrown himself into avoiding any contact with him after their kiss. Bucky had put his children as a physical barrier between them during the game. When they were signing autographs, Bucky had, to all appearances, made the maximum effort to keep his distance. Any time Steve had tried to get closer after he finished with one autograph somehow resulted in the man being further away than before.

Tony was in his lab when they got back and Steve practically stormed the place while everyone else headed to bed. He then went on a rant on how horribly Tony's 'perfect plan' had gone. Tony managed to not burst out laughing because of the information that Natasha provided him with. At the end of the rant he was actually frowning though, "So, you completely passed up a second opportunity to kiss him even though they put you on the cam again? It sounds like Natasha and Wanda went out of the way to encourage it and you didn't act…"

Steve slumped down into a nearby chair because he realized Tony was completely right. He then banged his head against a metal table a few times before looking up pathetically, "How bad did I screw up? He hates me now doesn't he?" Steve's look of abject despair had Tony fighting the urge to laugh at how much the man exaggerated the situation.

"Not likely. You said he gave a confident and firm kiss that lasted more than a few seconds. He gave you a chance to respond and that says he was hoping you would. It is more likely that at the moment he is thinking that he has ruined your friendship by acting impulsively. Remember, he didn't know anything about the plan. Natasha has assured me of that," Tony responded as he poured himself a drink. "What you need to do now is work out some way to convince him that you froze because you are insanely shy and a complete idiot and not because you aren't interested in a relationship."

"How do I do that?" Steve asked, his head pressed against the table, muffling his voice and making him sound even more pathetic.

"If I knew how to admit stupidity I would have Pepper back. So don't look to me for this one. I can work out a chance for starting a relationship. I have no idea of how to fix one. If I knew that, I probably wouldn't even be here, I would be in a lovely red head's arms, possibly even sleeping," Tony's voice was without sympathy, reminding Steve that he was probably the worst help ever in winning over Bucky, even if he _had_ pointed out that Steve couldn't avoid it forever.

"Screw it, I am just going to actually talk to him. Maybe if I blurt it all out he will be able to understand how inept I am," Steve stood, trying very hard to be confident in his decision. He was quick in getting to the elevator but in the few minutes it took for the elevator to arrive and to reach his floor he felt more than a few doubts about how successful he would be in his plan. Just before he could knock on Bucky's door, Natasha exited and before he could even react she had him across the hall to his own suite.

"I just spent a half hour trying to convince my father, rather ineffectively by the way, that you are both shy and stupid. If you go in there now, I doubt it will do any good unless you can fully and confidently declare your feelings to him," Natasha stated once the door was firmly closed. Steve's expression, which held uncertainty before was now crestfallen. When he didn't respond Natasha continued. "I thought so. You know, for a man built like a Greek god and with the heart that would make Jesus look selfish, you can be a real coward. Give it a few days. With less of a sting of rejection being felt by Papa, you may actually have a chance of getting your feelings across without him thinking you are only saying it to make him feel better."

"He really thinks I would do that?" Steve sat on one of his chairs now completely deflated.

"I think right now he needs absolute assurance. You suck at proving confident in your actions so you need to come up with proof for him to believe it," Natasha stated, not unkindly.


	20. The Art of Avoidence

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 19: The Art of Avoidance

That night Bucky refused to sleep. He knew at this point that sleeping without Steve meant nightmares. Nightmares meant that the, now annoying in his mind, AI would alert half the tower that he was having them. It meant that Steve would come and Bucky wasn't sure he could face Steve right now. The kiss had been impulsive. The desire to kiss Steve had been building since he had gotten his full sense of emotions back and he was never one to pass on a perfect opportunity. Steve had frozen, that meant he didn't like it. If Steve didn't like it, he didn't like Bucky by the broken hearted man's logic. Natasha had tried to point out that Steve just didn't know how to handle kissing. Bucky admitted that Steve had always be awkward but that had always been around women. Steve had always been at ease with Bucky. If he froze it had to mean that the kiss was uncomfortable for him, right?

It had been almost 2 am when they got back from the stadium between traffic and all the additional delays. With the conversation he had with Natasha and now all his musing, Bucky found very quickly that it was 5 am. Rather than risk encountering Steve in the main gym that Tony had set up for everyone, Bucky headed to the gym set up specifically for Natasha. She had already to the AI to grant him access and he intended to use it to work out some of his frustrations about the events of the day before.

Bucky made a beeline for the punching bag and began going at it. Two hours and six punching bags later Natasha entered and examined the bags that had holes torn into them. She sighed and went to her tread mill and started running on it. An hour later, she stopped and noted that Bucky had stopped with the punching bag and was now doing single handed pushups with his flesh arm. She shook her head and switched to the gymnast obstacle course that encircled the room. After a few laps around the obstacle course she switched on a laser grid to work through. If she set off one of the lasers it would be marked on a chart but no alert would sound. Also, after each trip through the grid, it will change, forcing her to work on navigating through a new one without being able to be accustomed the previous. This forced adaptability. Tony had designed it specifically for Natasha at her request.

By the end of Natasha's second hour and Bucky's fourth, Natasha finished her morning routine and then looked at her father who was now working his way through her obstacle course. As he finished a lap, she stood at the end with a knowing look on her face. Bucky got down and looked at her with a strangely blank face after the one she had seen for the pasted week. It was strange for her to think about but it really had been just over a week since he had brought out of sleep after healing from the mind control and cryo. It had also been one rife with emotional ups and downs that she was sure that none of them had truly had an opportunity to absorb. Both Bucky and Steve had been a mess the night before and now she realized that in their eagerness to have what they had longed for had caused both men, and those who had been supporting them, to run recklessly forward without checking for any pitfalls first.

"You know. I actually get some of what you are going through. When I left the Red Room for SHIELD, I went from a world where everything was familiar, structured. It all made sense because it was the only life I knew. SHIELD was completely different. People were actually supposed to have opinions on things. They were emotional, talked back to their superiors, hell, I would be dead if it weren't for that fact. It was also absolutely terrifying. I had no idea what to do with myself. I spent the first two months going through debriefs and interrogations and that was the _most comfortable_ I felt with these new and strange people. I agreed to work for them and suddenly people were actually looking to hear my opinion on how a certain type of mission I was going on should be run. It made absolutely no sense to me. I had lived a life where you took orders, you had no opinions and the mission was the mission, no alterations necessary. If you disobeyed, you died. Suddenly my world was completely on its head," Natasha sat on a mat and talked about something that only Clint and Phil ever knew about her.

"Clint and Phil tried their best to help me adapt to the changes but it probably took me a good two years before I was willing to even contribute to a conversation about how a mission should be run. The Red Room made me a weapon at age 16. It was SHIELD that taught me how to be an adult at age 24. It doesn't matter how many languages we could speak, how many weapons we could shoot, or how seductive we could be. Those of us in the Black Widow program may as well have been robots. I was just as subjected to mind control as you were, the difference is that I knew it. I knew that I was obeying because I feared what would happen if I didn't. I left when I got the first chance. Clint gave me that chance and it took me less than half a heartbeat to accept it. That didn't make the transition any easier. My first decision for my self was one that saved my life. My first time contributing to the mission plan saved Clint and Phil's lives. I changed the plan part way through because the positions they were taking held a venerability that only I saw. You see they had a pattern in their work that opponents could pick up on if they studied them. The people we went up against did study that pattern. It led to their complete confusion as Clint and Phil weren't where they were expected to be. It was a complete success that would have been a complete failure otherwise.

"After that it made sense more sense to me that they took input from all the team members. I had had a lot of narrow misses with the Red Room for that same strategic flaw. It was actually that flaw that allowed you to shoot me and the scientist in Ukraine. Thanks for not killing me by the way," When Natasha finished she noticed the incredulous look on Bucky's face. He didn't speak for a while but seemed to understand what she was getting at.

"So what you're saying is that I need time to adapt? You're forgetting that I did have a life before I became a puppet to Hydra and their associates. My life was Steve. I followed him into hell time and again and it wasn't just because he was my best friend. We had something more… If it hadn't been for the times and a fear of what it would mean to lose him if he didn't feel that same I would never have waited this long. But it seems like I can't love him without hurting him. I dragged him into the war, I dragged him into the battle with Hydra, I brought him to the point of despair where he was willing to lose his own life. I did that to him. Add to that that I struck him, I hit Steve. I physically hurt him. I have tried to _k-kill him_ ," Bucky's voice waivered as he spoke this last bit.

"You didn't do that. The Soldier did that. You simply shared a body and memories with the Soldier but you aren't that… weapon. I was always the Black Widow, a weapon but now I am more. You were never the Soldier, you merely carried his form in your body. Eir removed him from you. The Soldier is no more, he is dead. You're Bucky Barnes and you would never hurt Steve Rogers. It is against the very core of who you are," Natasha offered to him.

"I hurt him last night. There were bruises yesterday morning. I saw them. I did that to him. How can I ask him to love me when he shouldn't have to even look at me? I don't deserve to even be in the same building as him much less deserve his love. Steve is the sun, all things good and bright and pure. I am as tainted as they come," Bucky had now slumped against a wall near Natasha and had his head between his knees in despair.

"Why don't you let Steve be the decider of whether or not he thinks you deserve him. Last night he seemed to be kicking himself for freezing rather than kissing you back," Natasha pointed out unapologetically.

Bucky looked up and glared at her, "It clearly made him uncomfortable. There was nothing to stop him from kissing me back. I gave him a chance to unfreeze. He didn't. End of story. You may think you know what you are talking about but you don't know him as well as I do. He freezes when he is in an uncomfortable situation. He doesn't want to be rude but he also doesn't like it so he doesn't know what to do. He didn't like the kiss. I was stupid for kissing him in the first place. I don't know what I was thinking," Bucky turned away at this last bit, completely dejected.

"This is getting us nowhere. How about this. We let Steve decide. You made your move. Now let him make his. Give him a few days to actually think about what he wants. You know what you want. That was made clear at the game when you kissed him. Now let him decide and go from there. In the meantime, you have three people who will be more than eager to keep you occupied. Wanda was talking about having a movie marathon to get caught up on American pop culture so Tony's references actually make sense. That will kill plenty of time and there will be no pressure on anyone," Natasha offered as she stood, holding her hand out to the older man.

Bucky sighed before taking the hand and allowing her to pull him up from his position. She ended up leading him back to his rooms and ordering him to shower before coming to the 'theatre' floor. Tony had actually designed an entire floor to be a giant in home theatre with the theatre seating and everything. The only difference was the F.R.I.D.A.Y. was running what was played on the giant screen at the front of the room. Off to the side of the room was an actual popcorn maker in the movie theatre style that made Bucky grin in amusement. Wanda was operating it when they arrived and there was also a draw with different snacks and mini freezer for frozen snacks. Natasha made the executive decision to start off with classic Disney movies like Bambi and The Lion King. Tony and Scott joined them just as Beauty and the Beast started up and Tony made a joke about it being the fairy tale version of Natasha and Bruce which caused Nat to glare at the man and most of those present get confused as they had very little knowledge of who Bruce was beside him being the Hulk.

At some point Bucky fell asleep and Steve arrived with pizza for everyone. Bucky only really slept a little but kept pretending to sleep when Steve arrived to avoid talking to the man. This was very easy as Steve wasn't really interacting with anyone. Later, when they had moved on from classics to Pixter movies, Tony ordered Thai for dinner and it was delivered a while later. Eventually, Bucky had to actually stop faking and interact with the others and noticed that instead of participating, Steve was frowning and drawing in his sketch book. Steve was also a little distance behind and to the side of the rest. At around 2 am people started falling asleep for real while they watched Toy Story 2 and Natasha thought, not for the first time, how childish some of the Avengers actually were. At the end of that movie, Natasha started to send those who were falling asleep off to their real beds. Bucky opted to go back to the gym much to Natasha's annoyance.

When she went to wake Steve where he slept a few rows back, she smiled at the sight of what was in the sketch book. Steve had, for some reason, drawn a cartoon version of himself and Bucky, the now Bucky not WWII Bucky, napping. Natasha carefully slipped the sketch book out of Steve's lax hands and glanced around to ensure they were alone. Sitting next to the man, she flipped through the pages and realized he had probably spent his entire time in the theatre sketching. Some were cartoons like the first one she had seen and some were profile pictures, a couple were of him sleeping. Going back further in the book, she found pictures of when they were in Wakanda, all of them were unsurprisingly of Bucky. The one of first ones however was the one that caught her attention the most though. It was drawn in between two pictures of him in cryo which was a little disconcerting for Natasha but she brushed it off. The picture was one that had clearly been drawn from memory. It was a head view of what looked like Bucky in WWII era Army Uniform, a rakish smile on his face. A lot of the lines were hesitant but it was clearly of a good memory for Steve.

Natasha slowly closed the sketch book and shook the sleeping man awake. He woke with a start and then blushed when he noticed the book that Natasha handed him before telling him to go to bed.

The next two weeks, unfortunately followed a similar pattern. Bucky would spend much of the night working his frustrations out in Natasha's gym, avoiding sleep. He would spend his days avoiding being allow with Steve by either going out with a few of the others, mostly the twins, to see the sights or visit the library to get history books on things he had missed. By the end of the two weeks Tony was actively driving Steve insane, asking if he had worked out 'a plan to win his man'. Natasha was both worried and concerned for Bucky because he had not only avoided Steve but sleep very actively. In the end she managed to work out an agreement with him that he would sleep if the twins and Natasha stayed in his suite to keep him under control if he had nightmares and to keep Steve from entering the room. The man still only got a few hours of sleep a night and based on his sessions with Dr. Samson, he was unnervingly calm during his interactions with people he was less familiar with.

During those two weeks Sam had returned, he said that he had been given an Ultimatum from the VA, quit the Avengers or quit the VA. He quit the VA. He and Tony had spent a full two days behind closed doors before coming up with the idea of having Sam run counseling groups for people who lost friends and family in super villain attacks or survivors of those attacks. After a little debate, Scott offered to help by setting up websites for the support groups and setting up online groups as well so that they could reach further. Tony was fully willing to fund these since he still felt the guilt of having been the source of the Ultron attack in the first place.

By the middle of the third week tensions were extremely high. Bucky had all but given up hope that Steve had any intention of a relationship with him despite literally giving the man no time to actually talk with him. Steve was just about ready to explode with his frustrations on not having an opportunity to actually talk to Bucky alone. Natasha was on the brink of locking the two in a room until they sorted out their issues. Wanda and Pietro were desperately attempting to prevent her from doing just that, saying that they needed to do this on their own terms. Tony was rarely seen, having disappeared into his lab on some new project that he had started and Sam and Scott were both off in their little own world working on saving the emotions of the world without noticing that the emotions of the Avengers were on the brink of exploding violently.


	21. Finally, A Heart to Heart

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: This chapter is going to be a lot of fluff. Just fair warning.**

Chapter 20: Finally, A Heart to Heart

Two days before the 4th annual Avengers Gala, Natasha and Tony invaded Steve's suite without permission. Natasha was beyond annoyed and Tony looked like he had been dragged by Natasha from his lab. Steve was startled from where he was sitting, a laptop in front of him and his sketch book in hand. When Natasha got close she saw the article that had been published about Steve and Bucky two weeks before with the picture of the kiss at the game. It was captioned 'Love at Last for the Frozen Captain?' The article speculated about the kiss and the possibility of a romantic entanglement with Bucky that was actually not that far from the actual truth. Natasha closed the laptop not wanting any distractions from her intervention with the man before her.

Steve put his sketch book on top of the laptop with it opened to a partially drawn picture of 'the kiss'. He knew that he had put off things for too long but it was literally his uncertainty of how to handle the situation that made him so hesitant. Natasha and Tony sat. It was Natasha who spoke, unsurprisingly, "You are being a complete idiot, you know that?"

Steve's jaw dropped at the comment but he didn't respond, looking away instead of answering to the statement. Natasha rolled her eyes and groaned, "I told you to wait a few days, not a few weeks. I managed to convince Papa to give you a few days to see how you would handle things and you made absolutely no effort to do _anything!_ "

"It would have been a little easier to do _something_ if I actually had a chance to be alone with him but every time I got the nerve up to find him he was surrounded by people," Steve shot back, unhappy at being blamed for his inaction.

"All you had to do was ask for a minute to speak with Papa and we would have all cleared the room, whether he protested or not. So don't blame this on us. The twins and I have only been trying to keep Papa's mind off the fact that you have pretty much rejected him," Natasha spoke with near venom. In the past weeks she had actually not only grown used to the idea of having a father and siblings, but was now actively enjoying it. Steve was getting in the way of that enjoyment by making one of them unhappy. Steve looked away embarrassed at his lack of action now.

"Well how do you purpose that I go about it? Half the time he isn't even here…" Steve's voice had lost all fight and was now deflated and small.

"How about you show him this. Well, this and the other sketch books. I told you to find evidence, proof of your love. The fact that you have been drawing pictures of him forever tends to say that you love him pretty clearly," Tony pointed out as he held the sketch book and flipped through the pictures. Some were more of Steve's imagined interactions with the man and he quickly grabbed it from Tony as the man got to a picture of Steve and Bucky cuddling.

Steve was now blushing and looking away, holding the book to his chest tightly. Finally, Natasha sighed once more in annoyance and stood, "Tonight. You will go to his room tonight at 7 pm. I will make sure he is there and alone. Bring food and bring all your sketch books. If you fail to show, I will kick your ass." With this she dragged Tony out of the room.

"Make sure you ask him to be your date to the Gala!" Tony yelled as he was pulled out of the room.

Steve slumped down and glared at the sketch book. A few seconds of consideration resulted in him agreeing with Tony. Even if he couldn't present the confident assurance that he seemed to have somehow lost around Bucky, he could still bring proof. He decided to finish the sketch he was working on of 'the kiss' and then work out his plan for the night. He reopened the laptop and finished the picture quickly but neatly. A look at the clock told him it was two in the afternoon which gave him five hours to work out his plan and pick out food and clothing.

While Steve planned, so did Natasha. She point-blank ordered everyone but Bucky and Steve to be in the gym of the tower at 6:30 pm for team coordination practice. Clint and T'Challa had arrived the day before in anticipation of the Gala. No one dared question why Bucky and Steve wouldn't be involved and Natasha had no intention of telling them. As for how she was going to handle her father, she informed him that he was going to have a real dinner with her and to dress accordingly. She told him it was to be at 7 pm. Bucky was a little confused by the orders but accepted it, the two had been working on building a familial relationship after all. Natasha then spoke to F.R.I.D.A.Y. and Tony and they decided to go with 'the lock them in a room' plan.

Steve had decided to order pizza as Bucky had actually found a great deal of enjoyment in the meal. His clothing was semi casual, jeans and a button up shirt. Natasha had texted him with instructions to not knock but go straight in. He was a little suspicious about this part of his instructions but had chosen to go with Natasha's instructions if it meant he could actually be alone with Bucky for more than ten seconds. At ten of seven, he carefully placed the box of his sketch books on top of the two pizzas that had arrived minutes before. He decided that it couldn't hurt to be a few minutes early and he chose to move before he lost his nerve once more and potentially blew what could very well be his last chance. He easily held to pizzas and books in one arm while using the other to open the door to his suite and then Bucky's suite.

Bucky stood with a look of shock, dressed fairly nicely as well, when Steve entered with the boxes. Steve put the pizzas on the kitchenette counter before bringing over the box of sketch books. Based on the expression on Bucky's face, it was clear that Natasha had not told him exactly what was happening. At this point Steve's heart was pounding a mile a minute and he found he couldn't open his mouth. Instead he pushed the box into the hands of the still stunned man and looked away, his face redder than a cherry. Bucky couldn't speak and was completely perplexed by what was going on. It clicked fairly quickly that Natasha had tricked him into being in a certain place at a certain time so that Steve could get him alone. What he didn't understand was why Steve was handing him a box of sketch books.

After the two stared at each other in silence for several moments, Steve finally spoke, though it was so quiet that anyone without enhanced hearing wouldn't have heard what was said, "Just look at them will you." Steve's blush had spread from his face and down his neck by this point.

Bucky sat and did as he was asked to while Steve started to nervously pace. The past few weeks of minimal contact, all of which was done surrounded by others had caused the nerves of both men to be at their very limits. As Bucky flipped through the first book he noted it was from before the war. Steve had always been adamant about not letting him see what he had drawn beyond just a few landscape pictures so it came as a shock to Bucky when he found the first picture of himself, a crooked grin on his face while eating. The further he got into the book the more he realized a lot of what Steve had drawn was of him.

He tried to not let his heart get too excited, after all Steve hadn't had many people he actually was close to before WWII and the serum. The second book he looked through made his heart nearly stop altogether. The books were very clearly out of order because this one looked fairly new and it had a picture of him as the Soldier in Steve's apartment in DC, only it wasn't an aggressive pose. He was relaxed. This book held a few pictures of the Avengers as well but it was predominately occupied by a mixer of pictures that looked like they were drawn from memory of before and during WWII and pictures of the few encounters he had with Steve as the Winter Soldier. There were also some cartoonish pictures that made him half smile but also uncertain of how to take them since a few were of uncomfortably intimate situations.

The third book was one from WWII and Bucky actually expected far more pictures of the Commandos and Peggy than there were. Actually, the book only held a few of them as a group and the rest were once more of Bucky. At this point of going through the sketch books he was having a hard time not taking them in the way he wanted to. A lot of the pictures were of him not paying attention and asleep which seemed to suggest Steve was trying to draw them on the sly. When he set the third book down he also stood and walked over to Steve. Steve himself had frozen at the movement of Bucky from where he had been looking at the books. Bucky's heart now felt like it was trying desperately to hammer through his chest and he decided to act impulsively once more.

As he approached Steve, the other man seemed to back away until his back was against the wall. Bucky felt both a surge of terror and hope from the look of uncertainty in Steve's eyes. Bucky slowly placed his hands on both sided of the still frozen man and slowly moved into Steve's personal space. By this point Steve had a bit of a deer in the headlights look on his expression which made Bucky hesitate. A small voice in his head whispered that Steve wouldn't have drawn pictures like the intimate ones if he didn't want this on some level which prompted Bucky to finally close the remaining space and gently press his lips to Steve's.

When Steve didn't respond after a few seconds, Bucky pulled away to look closely at the man he hoped wasn't rejecting him for a second time. When he did so, he realized that Steve had closed his eyes and was breathing jaggedly. On impulse he brought his lips to Steve's a second time. This time, after only a fraction of a second, something clicked in the golden man and Bucky found himself being drawn even closer to the large man. He also realized that Steve was actually kissing back. Bucky immediately deepened the kiss, opening his mouth to the other man who took the invitation as soon as it was given. Suddenly, it was Bucky who had his back pressed to the wall, now firmly trapped within Steve's arms.

When Steve pulled away from the rather intense kiss, both men were blushing and Bucky's lips were decidedly swollen from the pressure of the kisses. Only a few seconds were given before Steve dove right back into kissing Bucky, this time picking the smaller man up resulting his legs being wrapped around Steve's waist. With Bucky's face now level with Steve's, the kissing intensified for a few minutes, the two only pulling away for quick breaths before immediately returning. Finally, Steve pulled away from Bucky slightly, using the wall to brace the man's weight around his hips. He looked intensely in his eyes before bringing his mouth close to Bucky's ear, "I Love you." He whispered breathily before he began kissing down his throat bringing a moan from Bucky.

Bucky's hands yanked Steve's face from the base of his throat to look directly at Steve and the look was one intense enough to make Steve wonder if he would melt from the stare, "Say it again?" Bucky finally managed to squeak again, practically pleading to hear it.

Steve broke into a grin at the request and was kissing Bucky again. He spoke, punctuating each word with a kiss, "I. Love. You. James. Buchanan. Barnes." After he finished he kissed Bucky more deeply. This time slowly, but in a way that made both men's blood set ablaze.

When Steve finally pulled away, Bucky had tears streaming down his face. Steve frowned until Bucky chocked out, "I love you too. God you have no idea how much I love you. How much I have always loved you." This time Bucky pulled him into a kiss that was almost desperate in its need to emphasize the point. Steve felt like his heart had stopped beating altogether at Bucky's declaration and he embraced the kiss just as passionately.

Eventually, the pair calmed enough to realize a full half hour had passed and the pizza Steve had brought was now almost room temperature. Neither of the men could bring themselves to care though and situated themselves on the couch, Bucky in Steve's lap to eat. Both men were reluctant to allow any distance between them, now that their feelings were in the open and Steve in particular was unwilling to let go. After they finished with the food, Bucky debated mentally looking at the rest of the pictures Steve had drawn before deciding he could do so later.

He instead opted to begin kissing Steve again. These kisses lacked the desperation from earlier but held a heat that surpassed those as well. Hands started to roam but never below the hips. It wasn't very long before Steve had them both shirtless and Bucky was pinned with his arm above his head. Bucky knew that with his metal arm he could easily break the hold but had no desire to do so. Steve's lips roamed from his down his neck and finally to where the metal and flesh merge. Bucky was a little uncomfortable but Steve started to slowly kiss the scars tenderly. Bucky realized it was Steve's way of showing that he accepted him exactly as he was, regardless of the physical changes that had occurred.

After this, Steve pulled away only to pick him up princess style and bring him into his bedroom. Once there, he stripped both their pants but not their shorts and curled gently around Bucky. Steve was determined to go back to sharing a bed with Bucky like when Bucky was first woken but this time it held a more intimate meaning to both men. After a few more kisses, Steve made Bucky face away so that they were spooning and firmly wrapped the smaller man in his arms. Bucky allowed this with a little uncertainty since the last time Steve had been around while he slept he had attacked him in his sleep. However, the lack of sleep Bucky had had over the past few weeks and the comfort and warmth now in his heart caused him to slip into the first peaceful sleep he had had since before they left Wakanda. Steve felt no end of pleasure at this and intended to keep the situation as it was for as long as possible.


	22. The First Dance

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 21: The First Dance

When Bucky woke in the morning it was to find his rather warm pillow moving slightly. The second of disorientation lasted until he realized what woke him was a hand gently tracing over the scars on his back. He looked up to see Steve smiling at him in a way he had never seen before. There was no shame or worry in his eyes, he looked like he had everything he could possibly want in that moment which caused Bucky to blush a little. When he moved to shift off the bigger man he felt Steve's other arm wrap more tightly and suddenly rather than being on top he was beneath Steve. Steve looked at him intently before slowly lowering his lips to Bucky's. This kiss held a confidence that Bucky didn't realize Steve had before now.

After several minutes of kissing, which put Bucky very firmly back into a dazed state, Steve finally pulled away just a few inches, "Morning. Did you sleep well?" Steve's eyes seemed to penetrate to Bucky's very soul with the intensity of his stare.

Bucky slowly nodded, not breaking eye contact, "Yeah. I did. You know, I could get used to good mornings like the one you just…" Bucky's words were cut off as Steve pressed their lips together, more insistently this time. They wouldn't be leaving Bucky's suite that day if Steve had any say and he was stubborn when it came to getting what he wanted.

Two hours later, up on the common floor, Natasha and Tony were getting a lecture about how locking people in rooms together was wrong from both Clint and Wanda. Tony had quickly stopped listening while Natasha kept her face carefully blank and nodded when she was expected to respond. When the two finally finished their lecture Natasha smile and simply asked, "F.R.I.D.A.Y. precisely how long were Captain Rogers and Sargent Barnes officially 'locked together' before they met the requirements set by Tony and myself?"

"My locking system was engaged for one half-hour while Sargent Barnes and Captain Rogers discussed their relationship, at which point they requested privacy mode to be engaged until otherwise instructed. Privacy mode is still engaged in Sargent Barnes's rooms," the AI responded promptly before falling silent.

Wanda blushed at what privacy mode indicated and Natasha rolled her eyes at that the fact that it took Wanda this long to realize why Steve and Bucky hadn't joined them that morning, "Thank you, F.R.I.D.A.Y."

"That doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't have locked them in together," Clint pointed out.

"Oh, please, that it lasted such a short amount of time means that they probably didn't even realize they were locked in. If Steve was smart, he would just the kissing do the talking for him. Anyways, are you really going to complain that the two of them will stop moping about in need of distraction?" Tony retorted, proving he may have been listening after all. "Plus, now we can let them take each other to the Gala and not have to worry about them all night tomorrow."

Clint and Wanda both sighed but let it go. It was completely pointless to argue with two people who had proven that at least once their method worked. Besides, Tony was right about this. They all scattered to do their own things for the rest of the day, not expecting the two love birds to surface any time soon.

As it so happens, it wasn't until the next morning that anyone saw either Bucky or Steve. Bucky had been more than willing to indulge in Steve's desires as they matched his own but had also insisted that he got to go through the rest of the sketches. Steve had agreed, so long as Bucky allowed him to draw him while he was looking through all the pictures. The morning of the gala, they finally emerged and both wore goofy grins that left absolutely no one in doubt about what they had occupied themselves with that day.

The smiles lasted through both their morning workout and an actual training session as the one that Natasha had ordered everyone else to attend ended as soon as the woman was sure the two super soldiers were locked in together. After the training session, Scott nearly walked in on the two soldiers in the showers before quickly retreating, their moans making it clear that he would be better off showering in his personal bathroom. He was also quite vocal about what he had almost seen which led to both Wanda and Natasha slapping him in the back of the head and telling him to shut up.

The rest of the day was spent relaxing before the gala. It was to be held on a floor of the Tower that was essentially designed for such functions and often it was rented out when not in use for Stark Industries or Tony's personal amusement. This time however, it was decorated with the intent to impress. All of the decorations were Avengers themed, from banners representing each of the Avengers and their super hero names to cocktails named and based off of them. Tony had put a great deal of effort into the event because this year had been more turbulent than previous years. They had very nearly been torn apart for good and Tony wanted to show that they had come back stronger than before. He had even gone out of his way to making Bucky a banner of silver with a red star and having it labeled 'Barnes'.

Tony examined the ball room proudly while he stood in his tux, his cufflinks gold and maroon to represent himself as Iron Man. Natasha and Clint were the first two to join him. They smiled as they noticed that Tony had had Bucky's Banner placed between Natasha and Steve's and Wanda and Pietro's were on the other side of Natasha's. Tony shrugged at Nat's raised eyebrow and turned towards Wanda and Vision who was going to be Wanda's date for the Gala. The android displayed no discomfort but looked around curiously as he stood beside Natasha to be a part of the greeting group. Pietro came next, simply suddenly appearing beside Wanda, his hair slightly wind-blown causing Natasha to roll her eyes again. Steve and Bucky were right behind Pietro and Scott followed just behind T'Challa and Sam who were discussing the mechanics of possibly making him wings of vibranium sometime in the future.

Steve glanced at the clock and noted that they were about to be bombarded with their guests. Outside, the paparazzi and a few journalists who had been assigned to cover the event had already arrived. The journalists showed their press badges and were admitted once their names were cleared on the list provided. It wasn't long until they were all immersed in the flashes of cameras, celebrities, and wealthy guests. Natasha and Wanda endured inappropriate glances and thinly veiled innuendo which resulted in more than one of those making them being watched careful by Tony's security. It also earned those who behaved inappropriately glares from Bucky, Steve and Pietro.

It wasn't until the dancing commenced that Steve felt a sudden wave of awkwardness. Until now he had stanchly avoided doing anything more than learning to waltz with Natasha's help and only because he knew from previous Galas that he wouldn't be able to completely avoid dancing and thus had only danced once and only with Natasha at each of the events. Now, he realized, he had no real practice in the art of dancing and finally someone who he actually wanted to dance with.

In fact, as soon as the first song began Bucky had turned to Steve and asked him if he wanted to dance. As the song was slow, Steve decided to chance it and allowed Bucky to pull him onto the flow. The song's beat called for the dancers to move closer than with a waltz to their partners which lead to quite a bit of blushing and Steve decided to just let Bucky lead. Bucky chuckled as he pulled Steve closer than he had originally positioned himself and began dancing with Steve, not giving him time to think about his steps. This was apparently the correct move because rather than stumbling about has he had with Natasha he felt surer of his movements.

"You know, if the staring is anything to go by, I would think that you never danced," Bucky told Steve with a smirk as he moved Steve around the floor.

"Well, I do normally avoid it at these things. Typically, I just dance one song with Nat and avoid dancing for the rest of the thing. I only danced with Nat because she and Tony would never leave me alone if I did dance at all," Steve blushed at his confession.

"Why avoid dancing? I always thought that back in the day you were always hopeful of actually getting to dance," Bucky seemed a little confused. As the tempo changed with a new song he decided to force Steve to lead which caused a bit of blushing and stumbling before Steve adjusted to the change.

"I wasn't in the mood to dance when I couldn't dance with the right partner," Steve finally answered after he adjusted to the change of who led and the speed change. He looked directly into Bucky's eyes before leaning in close to Bucky's ear. "Not that I could dance with the person I wanted to back in the day either. At least not in public, the laws being what they were."

It was Bucky's turn to blush violently as Steve placed a peck on his cheek and held him a little closer. Before Steve had confessed his feelings to Bucky they had been extremely awkward, as if balancing on a knife's edge just waiting to fall off one side or the other. Now that Steve knew that his feelings were shared however, he practically oozed confidence. Bucky was finding that he more than enjoyed this new side of Steve as it seemed to only be meant for him.

After the second song the two chose to join their friends and family for a while. Natasha looked expectantly at Bucky who quickly obliged the woman as a Foxtrot started to play. The father and daughter duo moved smoothly through the difficult dance without trouble. However, their movements held a lack of chemistry that would normally be displayed. Instead, they showed only pleasant affection but that was all.

"Mr. Rogers, I am sorry if I am interrupting. Can I ask a few questions?" a rather attractive looking reporter asked while leering at the super soldier. Steve looked away from his friend and his lover to look at the female reporter who was completely unabashed about her examination of him.

"Absolutely. As you can see, my date is occupied," Steve responded before looking to the bartender who handed him an Asgardian Ale. The bartenders had been carefully instructed that those specific ales were only to be given to Thor, Steve, Bucky, Natasha or the Twins. Steve then turned to the reporter expectantly.

"When you say date are you referring to Sargent James Barnes or Ms. Romanoff?" The reported asked, hoping to get an exclusive or at least a jump on a major story like a confirmation of Steve and Bucky dating.

"My date is Bucky Barnes," Steve smiled happily glancing over to where Natasha and Bucky strutted across the floor in time to the music.

"So, does this mean that the rumors that you are now a taken man are true? I mean, and for a man as well," The reporter looked eagerly at Steve.

"Yes, I am in a relationship with Bucky if that is what you are asking. As for it being a man, well, no offence but I have never really been interested in women in that way. Actually, for as long as I can remember, it has always been Bucky," Steve's smile turned to a smirk at the woman's shocked face before she nodded her understanding.

Her recorder was hanging almost too loosely as she tried to form a coherent sentence, "S-So you're _gay_?" She blurted out and all bust squeaked the last word.

"Sure, I guess. I mean I never really put a label on it since it was illegal when I was a kid and I only had eyes for Bucky anyways. I guess it is actually a relief that is one of the things that has changed from then," Steve shrugged before excusing himself with his drink and walking off to talk with Tony.

Steve knew for a fact that at least two other reporters had been nearby when he spoke with the first and figured that there was a good chance that it would be headline news in the morning. He felt a bit of a mischievous streak through him as Bucky and Natasha returned after their dance. Steve took Bucky's hand and pulled him close, kissing him in full view of those attending the Gala. Both Tony and Natasha rolled their eyes as several flashes went off from different directions to catch an image of the kiss. After kissing the man, he dragged him back to the dance floor, more than willing to risk the faster beat of the song for more dancing with his lover.

With the two on the floor, Nat and Tony suddenly found half a dozen reporters converging on them. Rather than dealing with them, they both rushed to the dance floor themselves, choosing to dance together to avoid the mass of questions for a little while. Clint soon found himself surrounded but the press and being questioned as he was the only one not dancing at that moment.

Just before the food was served, Tony finally took mercy on the press who were getting mostly avoidance answers to their questions. He went over to the microphone and simply straight up announced that Steve and Bucky were in a committed relationship and to please leave the Avengers alone on the matter. After this, it was mostly a matter of the press and guests trying to sneak pictures of Steve and Bucky whenever the two had the inevitable sappy moment. Natasha estimated that by the morning the information would be on national, if not international news. Despite all the excitement over Steve's sudden need for public displays of affection, all the Avengers had a good time and made an effort to show everyone that they were all quite happily friends and colleagues

At the end of the night, after the last of the guests left and the last of the press got just one more picture, Natasha turned to Steve and smirked, "You just had to make a scene didn't you, Rogers?"

"If you heard the way that reporter was questioning my relationship, you probably would have done the same. The lady leered at me. Eyed me like a piece of meat. Plus, she was completely rude, questioning my sexuality. So yes, I did," Steve stated before dragging Bucky with him to the elevators.

The others followed close behind. When everyone was on, Steve pressed the button to the common floor as he figured they could all unwind and talk for a while before going to bed. They all joked about different parts of the evening as the elevator made its way up to the top of the Tower. When they finally reached to top, or Common Floor the elevator doors opened and they all crowded out, headed to the living area with the intent to check to see if the news was already broadcasting the news about Steve and Bucky and what was to be their 'celebrity couple name'.

As they approached the couches a figure suddenly sat up and stood. As the man turned around, a sheepish look on his face, all the others fell silent. Bucky and Scott fell silent last, not recognizing the man at first. When they stopped, looking at the stunned faces of the others, the man spoke, "Hey guy… How is everything?" Bruce Banner asked awkwardly.

 **Author's Note: And Bruce is back finally… Because I did hint at it earlier and it is what triggers the climax of the story so, yes, he is important.**


	23. The Broken Hearted One

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 22: The Broken Hearted One

Bruce shifted uncomfortably as the rest of the Avengers stared at him. Eventually, it was Tony who broke the silence, "Hey Bruce, long time no see. Are you here for a while or are you just passing though?" Tony's words would have seemed friendly but for the venom that clearly laced through the tone of his voice. Tony's face was, for once, as blank as an unpainted canvas.

"Tony," Steve only half admonished, noticing that Bucky had stiffened beside him. A quick glance at the man revealed he was noticing the tension and pain on Natasha's face. "Perhaps we should all head to bed."

Sam and Scott nodded, noticing the tension and headed to the elevator, dragging Clint who was glaring daggers at Bruce. Pietro and Wanda had chosen to instead close ranks around Natasha who was as stiff as a board and still hadn't reacted. Bucky had shifted in front of her which caused Steve to realize that at some point Natasha must have told her father and siblings about her hopes for a relationship with Bruce being destroyed by him leaving. He realized that over the past month the four really had grown quite close. He also knew that Natasha wouldn't want them fighting her battles for her and wasn't surprised when she put her hand on Bucky's shoulder to shift him out of the way.

"It's ok. Um… can you guys let me talk to him alone?" Natasha asked softly, not loud enough for Bruce to hear but those around her could. Tony nodded and pulled Wanda and Vision towards the elevator with him. Pietro and Bucky simply glared at Bruce until Steve did the same with the two of them.

Bucky paused as he was being dragged away to whisper to Natasha, "If you need anything, let me know. I will be with Steve." Nat nodded stiffly in response and waited until everyone but Bruce was in the elevator and the doors closed.

"Are you going to say anything?" Bruce asked, coming closer to Natasha with soft footsteps.

"I'm not sure there is anything left to say between us," Natasha kept her voice as controlled as she could, her Red Room training leading to her being on her highest level of guard.

A look of pain covered Bruce's expression as he stopped a few feet in front of her, his arms almost protectively wrapped around his chest, "Are you sure about that? I can think of a few things that we should talk about."

"Ok then. Let's talk about why you left. Let's talk about how I kept putting myself forward, even knowing that it would be hard for us but being willing to try to make it work. Let's talk about how you rejected me every time I tried. Let's talk about that," Natasha snapped. She had been living with her emotions closer to the surface for a while now and they were now breaking through.

Bruce looked lost as he opened and closed his mouth several times before responding, "You know why…" He barely whispered but Natasha's enhanced hearing could pick it up.

"Yeah, I do. You left because you couldn't trust me. You weren't willing to try because you didn't trust me. You rejected me because you didn't trust me. You didn't trust me and now we stand here. Like I said, we have nothing left to talk about," The venom in Natasha's voice was now sharp and her words made Bruce flinch.

"That's not true," Bruce said weakly, looking at her with pleading in his eyes.

"Which part? Please, enlighten me about which part I am wrong about," Natasha's voice switched to sarcasm as she crossed her arms and shifted her weight.

Bruce looked her in the eye and noticed for the first time that her eyes held pain even as the rest of her face showed blank. He took another step forward, trying to close the space between them only for Natasha to step back, "All of it. I trust you. I just… I don't trust me… I don't trust me not to hurt you." His head fell as he spoke only for him to look back up just as he finished. Hoping some part of what he said was getting through.

"If you trusted me, you should have trusted me to know when you are losing control Bruce. You're forgetting, the big guy has never hurt me. He may have lost control around me but he had never hurt me. When there is a threat to me, I know when to clear out. It is why the lullaby worked with me. The big guy knew that I trusted him just as much as I trusted you and so he was willing to listen to me when he didn't to others. I wasn't asking for the world. I was asking for a chance to feel what everyone else gets to feel from their earliest childhood. I never got that because I was treated like a weapon. You treated me like an actual woman, the big guy treated me like a friend. It isn't hard to… it isn't hard to fall in… in love with someone when they are willing to push past the worst of you and try to see the good in you," Natasha struggled through the last of the words as she wiped away the tears that were falling.

Bruce was actually stunned into silence by the very real display of emotion. Uncertain how to proceed, he tried moving closer to her only for her to back away even more. Once she regained some control of herself again she looked him in the eye, her eyes still watery with tears, "I guess you were right to worry about hurting me though. I should have known better than to keep putting myself forward for someone who wasn't willing to even make an effort to try." With this she turned to the elevator and swiftly started to leave.

"Nat, _WAIT!_ " Bruce tried to follow, only to be unable to reach to elevator before the doors shut.

He slammed his fist against the door in frustration before carefully working to regulate his breathing and heart rate once more. Once he calmed down, he pressed the button to call the elevator back up and waited. Once the doors opened to an empty elevator Bruce stepped in and pressed the button for Natasha's floor rather than his.

"I'm Sorry Dr. Banner, but Sir had restricted your access to Ms. Romanoff's floor," F.R.I.D.A.Y.'s voice sounded in the elevator. "Is there another floor you would like to go to?"

"Why am I restricted from accessing Nat's floor? When did this happen? How long will it last?" Bruce asked, his voice laced with suspicion.

"Sir restricted access until Ms. Romanoff grants permission. Sir restricted your access to that floor one year and seventy-two days ago after the Ultron incident. Sir restricted your access to prevent, in his words 'a need to rebuilt the tower again'." The AI answered all of his questions.

"So, if Nat says its ok, I can go to her floor?" Bruce asked, trying to remain calm.

"Yes. Would you like for me to relay a request to Ms. Romanoff for permission?" the AI asked.

"Yes, please," Bruce slumped against the wall, slowly breathing in and out. The big guy hadn't responded at all earlier and he hoped this was a sign that even the Hulk wanted him to work things out with Natasha rather than run again.

After a minute the AI spoke again, "I am sorry, Dr. Banner. Ms. Romanoff has expressed a wish to maintain the restriction. Is there another floor you wish to go to?"

"Take me to the labs," Bruce groaned out, knowing he wasn't likely to be able to sleep that night.

Natasha also hadn't gone to her floor for sleep. Instead, she chose to take a page out of her father's book and went down to her gym. Tony had previously told her he was restricting her access to Bruce's labs and floor and would do the same in regards for her gym and floor in terms of Bruce. Thus, she knew that she would be free of disturbance from the man in question. It took her only a couple of minutes to change into her work out from the ball gown she wore before. He hair was now pulled back as well. As soon as she was done changing, Natasha started out with punching the latest, reinforced punching bag that hung on the hook.

Some hours later found her laying on the mats, completely worn out physically from working her way several times through all features of the gym. Natasha's mind still ran a mile a minute but her physical exhaustion won out over mental activity and she fell into a fitful sleep. She woke a few hours later with her body sore and smelly from dried sweat and over used muscles. Natasha groaned as she sat up. Her dreams had given no peace from her mental turmoil, playing over again memories of both her childhood and her interactions with Bruce and her family. She spent another hour analyzing the changes she had gone through since leaving her life in the Red Room at age 23. She also analyzed the pros and cons of learning to love people. The pain that Bruce had created with is rejection had nearly crushed her hopes of ever learning what love truly meant. Yes, she may have claimed that love is for children many a time but she had also decided that she got to be a child so she had a right to try for it as an adult.

There was also Wanda, Pietro and Bucky to balance out the pain from Bruce's rejection. The three of them had seemed to embrace their family bond simply because of their shared DNA. Natasha had been close to Wanda before they learnt the truth but the truth had brought them to another level of understanding. Where before Wanda and Natasha had difficultly fully opening up about their feelings, now they felt a sense of security to sharing them. Pietro had been a bit more difficult because she didn't have that previous time to bond with him due to his coma but he had been so eager that it wasn't possible to reject him. Bucky had actually been the easiest in a way to accept as family, despite the weirdness of her looking to be the same age as her father. The two of them shared extremely similar pasts. This meant that they could share what those pasts meant in full without fear of judgement. At this thought, Natasha finally pushed herself to stand. As hard as it was to not shut herself back down emotionally, she decided that what she had was worth more than the fear of what had happened and what could happen.

She went up to her rooms and cleaned up, allowing the heat of the water in the shower to ease to stiffness in her muscles. After cleaning herself up, she dressed nicely but comfortably. She had no intentions of risking running into Bruce before she reigned in her emotions and that wasn't going to happen until she managed to put a little distance between them for a short while. Knowing that Bruce was so close while her emotions were so close to the surface was too tempting. Natasha instead went to Bucky and Steve's floor. She first knocked on the door to Bucky's suite. When that garnered no response she did the same for Steve's door.

This time she got a response from the AI, "Captain Rogers and Sargent Barnes request you wait a moment." F.R.I.D.A.Y. told Natasha. The red head leaned against the wall next to the door and a couple of minutes later, a partially dressed Bucky sticks his head out of Steve's suite.

"Hey, you ok?" He asked gently. When Natasha shrugged, Bucky opened the door wider and let her into the suite.

"I will be. I just need time to process, you know. I kind of need to escape for the day. Do you think we can do a Father/ Daughter day, just you and me?" Natasha's request catches Bucky off guard. So far, unless it entailed their interactions in the Gym his eldest child had preferred to go on group outings rather than one on one deals, like Pietro and Wanda had requested a few times.

"Sure, got anything in mind?" Bucky agreed, not willing to miss a chance for more bonding.

"I thought maybe we could go out to breakfast and then visit the Metropolitan Museum. They currently have a tribute to the Battle of New York that you might find interesting," Natasha offered.

"Ok, sure. Um… let me get dressed and we can go," Bucky went into Steve's bedroom and Natasha heard them talking before Bucky coming out, followed by Steve. Bucky went over to his suite for clothing and Steve sat next to Natasha.

"Haven't worked out whose rooms you guys are going to permanently reside in yet?" Natasha asked, trying to prevent talking with Steve about the night before.

"No, we figured over here since I have a lot more stuff than him. Buck just hasn't moved his stuff over yet. We'll probably do that tomorrow or something like that. Going for the avoidance tactic?" Steve smiled weakly at her.

"You can hardly blame me. He went for it for over a year. I deserve the right to do it for a day," Nat responded sagely.

"Of course you do. Don't let Bucky convince you to let him confront Bruce. I kind of like actually being with the man I love, no need to push the Hulk to his limits," Steve joked half-heartedly.

"Well, I didn't put in all the effort of getting the two of you together just for he to do something stupid," Nat responded, just as Bucky returned. Natasha immediately linked arms with her father and led him away for their day long outing.


	24. Things Go South

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: Once again, I apologize for the delay in this chapter. Work was a bit chaotic this past week due to the holiday. I am hoping to finish this story this week though.**

Chapter 23: Things Go South

Natasha and Bucky made quick work of their trip to get to the museum. The subway was a little intense as more than a few people stared at the pair, it being obvious who they were. Natasha was sure that even a few phones were pulled out precisely for the purpose of snapping pictures. However, the air the two had around them was decidedly tense and thus, thankfully, no one dared to approach the pair. When they left the subway, Natasha led Bucky to a small café close to where the Metropolitan Museum was located to wait for the Museum to open as it was only 8:30 AM and the place didn't open until 10 AM.

Natasha pleasantly stopped at a newsstand before they entered to get them reading material. A few of the newspapers had 'the kiss' from the gala the night before on the front page and a tabloid with the baseball kiss were purchased for their reading amusement. When Bucky questioned why, Natasha had said that she wanted to see how close to the truth people had gotten with the stories. An hour and half later they left the café, well fed and in Natasha's case fully amused. Bucky didn't understand the purpose of the reporters going over every detail known about their lives and using it as evidence that Captain America had been in an illicit love affair with Bucky since before the war and was a little uncomfortable with the intrusion on his life. He was just getting his life, and the love of his life, back on track. He felt that he had more than enough to deal with without worrying what the world thought of his and Steve's love life.

Natasha on the other hand knew that Steve's brash behavior the night before had stemmed from having lived with very little privacy in this life for the past five years since he came out of the ice. When the world obsesses about the famous, superheroes who were well known like Captain America and Iron Man were given no peace from the press. Natasha and Clint had been lucky in the sense that she had managed to keep a low profile until the collapse of SHIELD two years previously. Bucky was just now coming into the spot light so she understood his annoyance and confusion.

"Don't think about it too much, old man. It isn't like the world was going to give you any privacy anyways. You are a WWII vet, one of the Howling Commandos, Steve Rogers best friend, and a brand new Avenger. If the paparazzi weren't speculating about how long you've been with Steve they would have likely started to try pairing you up with some other A-List Celebrity from last night's Gala. It is what they do," Natasha finally told Bucky as she paid for their entrance into the Museum. "Now this may be an art museum but they recently setup an exhibit for art created related to the Battle of New York. They also have an exhibit on Norse art believed to be connected to Mythology since these people are apparently closet Thor fans."

Bucky chuckled as he followed Natasha. It was just after the museum opened and a week day so it was fairly empty. Natasha and Bucky had already noticed that Bucky's standard 'tail' was with them in the café. By this point they wondered why the man didn't just introduce himself to them since he had long since figured out they had made him and had taken to giving a small nod to them whenever they first noticed him.

The exhibit designed mostly for Thor had Bucky thinking that Natasha was right about them being secret fans of the Asgardian Prince. However, just after they passed through to the Battle of New York exhibit Bucky noticed Natasha tense quite a bit, " _What is it?"_ He asked in Russian.

" _Our little friend is missing. He should have joined us by now,"_ Natasha responded in kind.

" _Perhaps he felt that he wasn't necessary? After all he had been following me for almost a month now. There is little reason for him to think I am up to anything nefarious or breaking the terms of my pardon,"_ Bucky suggested but had felt his own guard rise to its highest level when she mentioned it. A quick glance of the large room proved that his daughter was right and they were alone. A glance at his watch made him even tenser. " _The museum has been open for almost an hour. Where are the other patrons?"_

Just after Bucky asked this the two felt pricks in their respective necks. Their hands automatically reached for the spots where they felt them and they shared a look of pure horror when they felt the darts and felt the sedatives flood their systems. Although both of them tried to resist, when they were surrounded by men in tactical gear their limbs were too heavy for them to fight and their vision was already fading. The last coherent thought the passed through Bucky's mind was that they must have used an excessive amount of sedative to have it knock them out this fast.

Bruce was found by Tony in the labs. The older scientist smirked at his friend slumped over the table. Tony ordered F.R.I.D.A.Y. to blast Black Sabbath to wake the man and his smirk grew when Bruce jumped from the sudden noise. Once the exhausted man saw Tony he relaxed and Tony ordered his AI to turn do the volume.

"Clint's making French toast. He said he would even let you eat yours warm if you get up there quickly," Tony stated to Bruce as he relaxed. "Steve is making this fantastic cream cheese based sauce to go with it. Don't know what it is called but it is heave, especially for those of us who drank a little too much last night."

Bruce glanced at the extremely expensive, now empty, bottle of brandy and empty tumbler. He then rubbed his head and sheepishly looked at Tony, "Sorry about that. I needed to… unwind after talking with Nat last night. Plus, there is that little detail of my friend locking me out, preventing me from finishing said conversation."

Tony shrugged as he turned and led the way back to the elevator, "When I set those restrictions it was more so that Natasha didn't start living in your rooms. She was a mess after you left. Then, she seemed determined to make sure the rest of us stayed committed to the group. I don't know exactly how close you too actually got, but I think it is safe to say your leaving hurt her more than you realized."

"I wasn't safe. I'm still not safe," Bruce stated as followed Tony into the elevator.

"If you really believed that then why are you back now?" Tony asked, for once taking the conversation seriously.

"I'm not completely sure. I just felt like if I didn't come back the big guy would force me, even if he had to swim across the Atlantic to do it," Bruce answered uncertainly.

Tony looked at Bruce with an unreadable expression before responding, "I suggest you take the time that Nat spends avoiding you to figure exactly it is that you really want. If you give her the answer you just gave me, I am pretty sure I know of at least two men and a young woman who will probably figure out your invulnerability problem for you."

"What's that supposed to me," Bruce was now annoyed with Tony's cryptic behavior. However, before he could get a response, the elevator door opened and Tony swiftly exited.

Bruce realized that was going to be the end of the conversation for a while. On the common floor, most of the people were there Natasha and the strange man that Bruce hadn't yet met from the night before. Wanda and Pietro actively glared at Bruce making him feel extremely uncomfortable. It didn't help that Clint was ignoring him. Steve and Thor acted as if Bruce was an old friend they hadn't seen in a while. Bruce was even more confused when Steve's friendliness to Bruce earned Steve brief glares from the twins as well. Steve had simply shrugged and went back to helping Clint make breakfast for them all. Steve apparently had finished the sauce and was now cooking sausage and eggs while Clint continued to make more French toast and was pouring orange juice for everyone.

Another few minutes of awkward silence for Bruce passed before T'Challa and another man who Bruce didn't recognize joined them. T'Challa nodded to Bruce, pleased to see he had actually chosen to join them. The night before he had gone directly to bed after the Gala and thus hadn't seen the reluctant Doctor, although he knew that he was there, having been the one to bring him back.

The stranger walking straight up to Bruce and introduced himself, "Dr. Banner. I'm Scott Lange. Superhero name is Ant-Man. Don't judge me for it, I didn't pick the name. I have a suit that can shrink to the size of an ant created by Dr. Pym." Scott looked a little uncomfortable under the sudden glare he also received from the twins.

"Nice to meet you. I'm sure we will have an opportunity to get to know each other better at some point," Bruce shook the now uncertain man's hand. Once the hand was released, Scott made off to help Steve and Clint move the large amounts of food over to the table.

This seemed to be a signal to everyone to go to the large table and sit. Bruce quickly found that Thor and Tony were the only ones willing to sit next to him and then realized that Natasha still hadn't joined them, "Aren't we waiting for Nat?" He asked, confused again.

Most of those at the table froze. Clint and the twins resumed their glaring causing Bruce to flinch slightly. He wasn't used to this level of hostility from those who he had thought were at least allies if not friends. Steve was finally the one to unfreeze and respond, "She is out with Bucky. They went out to breakfast and were going to the Met Museum afterwards. I think they are planning on being out most of the day."

"Bucky? Sorry, Isn't that the name, or at least nickname for your friend who was MIA?" Bruce asked now even more confused. "You guys found him?"

"Yep. Barnes it real interesting too. He's really brought us a lot closer. Nat has even really started to open up to him," Clint said the last part a little suggestively with the intent to get to Bruce.

Tony chuckled at this comment while the twins seemed to smirk a little too. Wanda finally spoke to him as well, "Yes. I would say she had been extremely found of P-Bucky." Wanda almost slipped before recovering and giving Pietro and Clint a sly look. Bruce was now extremely unsettled and wondered just how 'open' to Bucky Natasha had become.

Tony looked like he was now trying to contain his laughter as did Scott and Sam. Thor was seemingly oblivious as if these statements had no effect on him. Steve groaned once he realized what the others were up to and rolled his eyes but remained silent on clarifying the confusion Bruce was now in. Bruce finally broke and asked, "Ok, what is going on? What exactly are you implying?"

The twins and Clint simply smirked before collecting their now cleared plates and bringing them over to the sink. Tony, Scott and Sam quickly followed suit. Thor look confused by Bruce's frustration and shrugged. He still didn't fully understand the dynamics of human society. Vision, who had been sitting with them but not eating merely phased through the floor with a blank face, making it clear he wasn't going to be the source of information Bruce needed. T'Challa looked to Steve who gently shook his head, "Sorry, Bruce. It isn't our place to tell you. Nat or Bucky will have to. I mean the Twins could if they wanted to but I doubt they will. They aren't really going to take your side on this. They are too dedicated to… Sorry, I can't say." Steve stood with his finished plate as well and awkwardly left. T'Challa was the only one left and shrugged as well making it clear he didn't feel it was his story to tell.

Just then, F.R.I.D.A.Y. announce that a 'Daisy' was calling and that she said it was urgent. This caused looks to be shared by those present and they all congregated by the T.V. screen that doubled for video calls. Bruce followed, curious and irritated that everyone seemed to know more than they were saying.

A young woman who looked half Chinese appeared on the screen when Tony told his AI that they were ready. She looked upset and more than a little pissed, "Hey guys, Sorry to interrupt but we have a major emergency."

"What is it, Lady Daisy? Is there some dastardly villain attacking the innocent?" Thor asked concerned. Bruce now felt extremely out of the loop.

"Yeah, in a way… Is that Dr. Banner? Wow, talk about right time to rejoin the world. So… you guys are going to really be pissed but remember we need to take this guy alive. That is super important since we need the intel of why he did it," Daisy stated without explaining anything. At this point Coulson, who Bruce could have sworn was dead last he checked, pushed his way into the image on the screen.

"Daisy, stop dancing around it. About a half hour ago our guy, Agent Eric Koenig, following Barnes and Romanoff woke up after being knocked out by a sedative of some sort. It wasn't long lasting as far as we can tell but it was long enough that they managed to capture Romanoff and Barnes and get them out of the museum. We looked over the security footage of the place and apparently it was a small group in tactical gear. On relevant side note, Secretary Ross fell off the radar yesterday morning," Coulson was much more to the point about the situation. Bruce was perturbed to realize that his old tormentor was back with a full vengeance. He had to physically reign in the rage he felt from the big guy at the idea that Natasha had been taken by the man. Once he had himself under control he noticed that the Twins, Clint and Steve wore similar expressions to his own. He figured that Steve and Clint made sense since they were practically family to Bucky and Natasha. The twins were a bit confusing but Bruce took it in stride as the group made their way to the QuinJet on the roof of the building. He told himself that he could figure out what was really going on within their group once Natasha and Steve's friend were safe.

It was a matter of a few minutes from the tower to the museum. The museum itself was blocked off by black SUVs and so landing in front of the building was an easy matter. None of the others were in their uniforms, time being of the essence but Steve carried his shield and Tony wore a suspicious looking wristwatch. Clint was probably armed to the teeth as well. Bruce once more felt out of the loop as not a single person in the group, besides himself, seemed unsettled by the idea that Coulson really was alive. He also felt uncomfortable when he noticed that there were several SHIELD agents were standing near a computer at the security desk and in discussion. Tony and Steve led the group in a beeline for them.

"Ok, so how exactly _did_ these guys get a drop on Agent Koenig here?" Steve asked, irritation radiating off him.

"Sorry, Cap. I wasn't expecting for a full tactical assault here. My job was simply to insure Sargent Barnes fulfilled the last condition for his pardon and didn't go places without an Avenger. Heck, it wasn't even like I was subtle about it. You all knew I was doing it and it was just my job. I didn't realize there were people who were actually stupid enough to piss off the Avengers by taking two of them," Koenig looked forlorn at the idea that he had failed so miserably.

"Ok. No killing Koenig. He really wasn't to blame. They got the drop on him before going after Romanoff and Barnes. He had no reason to suspect that this might happen. Honestly, I am surprised they went for Barnes and Romanoff. Ross's goal is Captain Rogers and Dr. Banner for his research to replicate the serum," Another petite Asian woman stated.

"May, I think it is pretty clear why they would go after Barnes at the least. The pictures of Captain America kissing him at a baseball game and then the Gala last night would make him prime bait for a trap. Especially if the person setting the trap doesn't know that the brainwashing that Hydra implanted has been removed. Romanoff was likely just a bonus for them," Daisy stated bluntly before turning to Steve. "I told you guys Cap was gay for Barnes."

Steve blushed but didn't let them get off topic, "So you are saying that they took Bucky to lure me into a trap?"

"Definitely. I doubt they knew that Dr. Banner is back since even we didn't know that. You made a huge spectacle about keeping Barnes out of danger during the Accords incident and that was before anyone knew about the two of you. It makes perfect sense to take that once word got out about you two being an item Barnes became a target. After all, he is a super soldier himself and he has been out and about far more than you have," Daisy confirmed.

Agent May nodded her understanding of Daisy's logic, "It makes sense. Captain America has a reputation of not letting Barnes be held by the enemy. They are probably counting on him going in head first without a battle plan. They aren't taking us into account." May smirked at the last part.

"Ok, before any rescue can occur, we still need to locate them," Coulson butted in.

"If Stark gives me access to his tech I can do that before these guys finished suiting up," Daisy smirked.


	25. Ross

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 24: Ross

Bucky's mind cleared slowly. As the fog lifted, he quickly realized that he didn't like where he was in the slightest. He tried to fight against the metal bonds on his wrists and chest before he even fully cleared his mind. After a few minutes of this, he realized that he was in a chair that was Hydra in design. He also realized that Natasha was in the room with him. She, unlike him, was slumped over and cuffed to a sturdy metal bar.

"Nat. _Nat! Wake up!_ " Bucky had started in English but switched to Russian as he realized that there were cameras in the room and trained on them.

Natasha began to stir when Bucky spoke and he felt a flood of relief at the fact that she was waking. He waited until she seemed to be conscious before speaking again, " _Fucking bastards. This is the chair for the mind wipes. I don't know how it will affect my mind."_ He was pissed and willing to show it.

" _Eir said that it wasn't possible for that to work on you anymore. She said the serum makes you adapt to any new threat to your wellbeing right? You have had decades to adapt. Those files Daisy gave us showed that they had to keep updating the damn machines because they lost effectiveness quickly. I doubt Ross knows that,"_ Natasha tried to reassure him while examining the cuffs around her wrists.

She then shifted enough to slip one hand under her shirt. She cursed in several languages as she pulled her hand out and then growled out to Bucky, _"Fucking bastards! They stole my lock picks! They also violated my privacy. I will kill them!"_

Bucky's face turned abruptly blank at the implied fact that someone had to have reached into his eldest daughter's bra to retrieve the picks and in the process very likely had no respect for her and possibly fondled her chest as well. For the first time since he had fully regained his mind, Bucky Barnes felt a cold rage flood through his system. He was quite fond of his children and had an iron respect for any boundaries a woman set. The idea that someone had violated those boundaries of his own daughter was nothing less than a death sentence if he ever learnt exactly who it was. He was an army sniper before he was a Hydra assassin and he felt no issue with taking a life for the right reasons. Whoever their captors were would rue the day they ever even thought that taking him and his daughter prisoner.

As he was thinking these thoughts a man in a suit entered and only glanced at Natasha before going over, almost gleefully, to Bucky, "Sargent Barnes. Let me just say that it is an absolute pleasure to have you here. I must say, I was a bit of a fan of your work in WWII. Your served our country proudly. I hope that you are willing to do so again."

Bucky glared death at the man and had he been unrestrained, he doubted there was anything that would have kept him from snapping the neck of the man before him with his metal hand. The man noticed the rage and took a few careful steps back, "I see. It is unfortunate that you are unwilling to do this. If you had been than we could have skipped the who need for implementing the work Hydra did on your brain. Just one question before I have the techs start though. You see some of the techs decided to take some samples while you and Ms. Romanoff were unconscious. One of the tests they did was a DNA test, to see if the serum that was used on you altered your fundamental makeup. There were also the long standing rumors that Ms. Romanoff had a variation of the serum as well so they decided to test her too. It is most remarkable what they found. Did you know she was your daughter or are you just as surprised as we were?"

Ross was absolutely gleeful as he looked between the two and saw that they both had made a concentrated effort to conceal all emotions from their face, "You DID, DIDN'T you?! So you can actually pass on the serum from parent to child. This is fantastic. You two have been out of it for a day now so we had plenty of time to run tests and the serums in both of you are an exact match as far as my people can tell." Ross was now beyond excited.

"Tell me, did they have you train her? Was that part of the Red Room? How many others are there? I need to know. If it has worked successfully before than we can start our own breeding program. Sure, it will take 18 years minimum to start reaping the benefits but between you two and Rogers we will have a lot to work with. Begin the wiping process," Ross switched to someone else who had shown up.

Bucky looked over at Natasha and stated heatedly, _"Don't watch, dear one. Whatever you do don't watch. I will fight it, I swear!"_

Natasha nodded and looked away as one of the techs that had entered forced a mouth guard into his mouth. Bucky felt the rage in himself building just before the machine was activated. The current of electricity running through him slowly built in both intensity and pain. The machine was designed to target and disrupt the memory center of his brain. He knew exactly what to do and focused on all the important things to him. This would make it much harder to eliminate them for some reason, Bucky never understood why, but it was why Hydra never truly won their battle to control him, no matter their efforts. Now, it was almost effortless, even as his body was warped with pain and a scream tore from his throat. He ignored the actions of his body, focusing solely on preserving his mind.

There was no way for him to know exactly how long they had implemented the machine but he felt it the second the machine powered down. He was careful to maintain a blank face even as he regained his breath from screaming so hard. In the end, Natasha had been unable to resist watching her father's torture. His screams had penetrated her in a way that nothing had before and tears were silently streaming down her face. Her horror only got worse when she realized that Ross was holding a blood red book with a black star on it. It was the book the Zemo had that held all the information on how to activate Bucky's brainwashing.

Ross handed the book to one of the techs who read out the Russian words while circling Bucky much as Zemo had. Bucky went rigid and Natasha felt the blood drain from her face as the cold terror that Ross's plan may actually work ran through her. When the tech finished Bucky was absolutely still. His expression blank and his eyes held nothing.

" _Papa! Papa! Listen to me! You have to fight it! Fight the programming! Please! Do it for ME!"_ Natasha suddenly screamed at him in Russian, not caring if they exposed her relationship to Bucky since Ross clearly already knew. The Soldier didn't even flinch at her words and she felt for the first time a reason of why allowing herself was wrong.

The Avengers plus Daisy, May and a large man who went by the name of Mack all flooded out of the QuinJet less than a hundred yards from a facility as soon as it landed. Unsurprisingly, a flood of men in tactical gear came flooding out and started to fire at them. This didn't last long as, as soon as Daisy raised her hand the bullets lost all momentum and fell to the ground. A second shock wave sent the opposing men flying back and crashing into either the surrounding buildings, vehicles, of the ground.

This resulted in incapacitating a large number of the enemy and the group quickly rushed the buildings, each splitting up into smaller groups. Bruce remained on the QuinJet, being kept in reserve. It had taken quite a deal of effort on Coulson and Daisy's part to convince him it would be to everyone's benefit if the big guy wasn't used unless necessary since they really did want to keep Ross and his people alive for questioning.

Ross smirked as the alarms for the building security activated. Natasha felt dread pool in her stomach at the idea of her friends walking to what was clearly a trap. Ross approached the now completely ridged but unresisting Soldier and pressed a button that released the bars shackling him to the chair, "Looks like we finished just in time. Good day, Soldier. Your orders are to capture Captain Rogers alive. It is fine if he is injured but nothing fatal. As for the rest, attempt to capture the twins, all the others are expendable."

The Soldier stood from the chair and nodded as he took the gun he was handed by Ross. In a flash, his posture changed and he fired at all of the techs, mostly just to disable them before tossing the gun to the side and lifting Ross with his metal hand, "Sorry. I don't take orders from anyone these days. Except maybe Captain America and my kids." Bucky was smirking as he slammed Ross into the wall, knocking the man out.

Natasha felt a flood of relief as Bucky went and snapped the chain between the handcuffs, _"You really should have more faith in your own reassurances._ " Bucky gave his daughter a wide grin as she hugged him. That grin faded quickly as a shot sounded and pain pierced through his side.

Bucky put a hand on the point of his pain and pulled it away to reveal it covered in blood. Natasha's horror showed once more as Bucky turned to see the partially upright Ross holding a gun in his hand. In an instant, Natasha was on the man, pinning and disarming him. She pistol whipped the man, ensuring that he was unconscious for good this time before lifting him and setting him in the Chair. Bucky, who was clutching his side and was close to the button Ross hit earlier, hit to button and smiled weakly as he wrist and chest restraints snapped back into place over the man.

"Want to help me here?" Bucky asked as he attempted to yank a lab coat off one of the dead tech to secure his wound.

Natasha quickly did just that before removing another and using it to secure to first coat as padding against the entrance and exit wounds. She was fortunate that the bullet had gone into the wall rather than her when Bucky was shot, "Shit, how are we supposed to get out of here if you're hurt?" Natasha asked more to herself than anything else.

Daisy swore as another barrier dropped. This was the fourth one and it was quickly becoming extremely annoying. May and Mack groaned as well. Daisy held up her hand again and focuses a resonating blast at the barrier, careful to not bring the rest of the walls down around their ears. They knew that the other groups in the other two building were having similar problems. Fortunately, Tony's repulsors and Thor's Hammer were just as effective against the obstructions. Once the barrier was out of the way, they proceeded forward, fighting the enemy men in hand to hand rather than risk Daisy compromising the integrity of the build with her vibrations more than necessary. The close combat made the use of Daisy's powers impractical and potentially dangerous.

They had already cleared most of the rooms in the building on the ground floor. The schematics of the structure had shown that the buildings were connected underground though so that was where they were going next. Tony's team let out another set of curses through the coms over a barrier in their building as well. Steve commented in irritation, "I am starting to think they are trying to piss us off. Ground floor of my building is clear."

"We're clear over here too. We are going down. Stark, how close is your team to clearing this floor?" Daisy responded before questioning the final group.

"Almost there. Only a few guys left," Tony stated as the other two groups headed down the stairs that they had found earlier.

May found a mechanism meant to seal the door once they had passed through and as a result Mack was able to disable it before it could be activated. Steve swore up a storm when the door to their stairwell sealed them in and had Thor destroy the barrier. Tony made a comment about language that brought forth a few chuckles from the older Avengers.

When Stark cleared the ground floor of his building he had Wanda break the device with her magic before leading his group down their stairs as well. The first basement level was much simpler than the first floors, being less maze like. The groups actually met up fairly quickly and cleared the floor with ease. The second Basement level was much less pleasant. Not in the sense of difficulty but rather what was found there. There were a lot of people being held, locked in various cells. Most looked to be terrified. May, Mack and Clint got them cleared out and to a second QuinJet that Coulson had followed them in. There were a few people strapped to tables and a crypt filled with bodies of what looked like failed experiments. It was at this point they all realized that Ross was beyond a little obsessive about recreating the Serum, he was completely deranged.

It was the third basement level that they found Natasha and Bucky on. At this point Bucky was in rough shape, a bullet through his side and just a couple of lab coats to slow the bleeding. Wanda and Pietro looked like they were ready to kill Ross at this point which prompted Daisy and Tony to order them, Natasha and Steve to get Bucky to the surface and to Bruce to see if he could help the seriously injured man. Daisy and Clint secured Ross, none to gently and dragged the now conscious and enraged man up and out of the building. Ross had to be secured in Coulson's QuinJet to keep him separate from the rest of the Avengers.


	26. Reconciliation

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

 **Author's Note: This chapter is in Bruce's perspective. It is also mostly fluff and focusing on Natasha and Bruce because I ship them as hard as I ship Steve and Bucky.**

Chapter 25: Reconciliation

Bucky lost consciousness while they made their way back to the tower but Bruce managed to stabilize him using the medical supplies in the QuinJet. Back at the tower Tony had two other doctors waiting to assist Bruce in helping Bucky survive the nasty wound. As it so happened, there wasn't much Bruce since the bullet had missed everything vital and Bucky's super healing had already kicked in. After a half hour of examining Bucky, Bruce was stitching the wounds closed and sterilizing them. Bucky had lost a bit of blood but the tower infirmary had the A + blood type in stock for a transfusion so Bruce hooked the severely weaken man up to a bag.

When he finally exited the infirmary, it was to find Natasha, Steve and the twins all waiting for an update just outside. He once more felt more than a little confusion at the apparent bond that seemed to have formed between all of them while he was out of the loop. Steve was the first to speak though, "How is he? His healing should be faster, right?"

"It is faster, thankfully. If it hadn't he may have bled out. He is stable and recovering. Sargent Barnes is also asleep. Now, I get Steve's concern but what about the rest of you?" Bucky decided to be blunt and to the point.

" _Should we tell him? Do you trust him, Nat?"_ Wanda asked in Russian, much to Bruce's annoyance.

Natasha simply nodded but didn't face Bruce, "Hydra apparently had a hand in the Red Room's Black Widow program. Most of those born from the 'breeding' portion of the program were Bucky's offspring. Bucky is my father. It also turns out that Wanda and Pietro were also conceived from that same program but their mother was aided in escaping by one of the guards. They are also Bucky's children and my half-siblings. We found out a month ago."

Bruce's expression was priceless. His shock was so apparent. It wasn't until a few moments later that he finally realized he had been staring at the three of them trying to find the physical similarities and even more shockingly seeing them. He finally looked away from them and towards Steve, "Is this what was being referred to this morning because I thought they were implying that something more romantic was going on between Nat and Barnes but that doesn't seem very likely with this information."

"Yes. This is what they were talking about when saying Nat was opening up to Bucky. There is nothing romantic. It is purely familial in nature. I'm sorry, they had already requested to keep it quiet and I didn't know if they wanted you to know or not," Steve offered before entering the infirmary without waiting for a response. He wanted to be near his lover and since Bucky was going to be ok, there was no reason he couldn't wait for him to wake at his side.

Bruce looked at the twins who shrugged and followed Steve without the slightest sign of remorse over their manipulations. Natasha sighed but still didn't look at Bruce, "I didn't put them up to it you know. They are literally the clingiest bunch I have ever met. All three have been trying very hard to establish a firm relationship with me and I'm not going to argue with it. Ever since I left the Red Room I have held onto a sliver of a hope at a real family, even if it was just one other person who simply loves me. The knowledge that I have three people who love and care for me unconditionally has done more than you can imagine. Sure the others are good in a friends' sort of way and before now Clint was the closest I had ever had to family but there is something that is more tangible. Papa and the twins care about me for me." With this Natasha moved to follow the others into the infirmary. Brace's hand caught on her arm and whispered something before she could get past him though.

"What?" She as softly, not sure she wanted him to repeat it.

"I said four. You have four people who love and care for you unconditionally," Bruce spoke only slightly louder and he was looking away but Natasha could see the red flushing his cheeks.

"Care to clarify what you just said?" Natasha asked, her emotions now rising back to the surface. She just barely managed to keep her expression blank as the turmoil of feelings raged forth.

Bruce hesitated, as if he was fighting some inner battle before looking at Natasha directly, "You know that I am saying that I love you."

Natasha stiffened before removing his hand with her own. She then turned to back the now fidgeting man against the nearby wall, not with force but rather the intensity of her stare. Once he was against the wall she crowded into his space, leaving scant inches between them, "You know, it's funny. The last time I said something along those lines, you left."

"You also pushed me off a huge chunk of rock that was raising into the sky so that I would become the Hulk just after saying that you 'Adored me', it isn't the same thing," Bruce argued weakly.

"I pushed you because you needed the push. You wouldn't have changed willingly, not right after what happened in Johannesburg. Also, do you realize how hard it is for me to accept any feelings for other people? It took me a year to let Clint and Phil close enough to have some tiny form of friendship. I am still learning. You still haven't explained WHY you left," Natasha's voice was just about a whisper as she spoke next to the man who was practically trembling from the intensity of the situation.

It was at this point that Bruce understood what Tony meant about him _needing to know_ what he really wanted before confronting Natasha. He stumbled as he responded, "I-I left be-because I was running away. Because I was afraid of what I was feeling for you, what you made me want. I left because at the heart of it, I have always run and that is because I am a coward." Bruce couldn't look at Natasha as he spoke and felt as if his heart was going to shatter when she took a step away from him.

He was surprised when he felt her hand being used to turn him to look her in the eye, "If you always run, why are you here now? If you claim to be a coward, why aren't you still running? What was it that I made you want that was so terrifying to y-you?" Natasha's voice waivered and Bruce realized she was fighting back tears.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before wrapping his left arm around Natasha's waist and pulling her tight to him and using his right hand to tilt her head so that he could press his forehead to hers, "I came back because I realized that I can't live without at least trying. I stopped running because for the first time in my life I really don't want to. What I want, what is so absolutely terrifying, is to actually give into what you make me feel. What I want is to love you and be loved by you." Bruce whispered the last sentence before pressing his lips to hers tenderly before pulling away just enough to breath, their lips barely separate.

"I can see why that would be scary. You think I wasn't feeling the same thing?" Natasha hadn't tried to pull any further away before speaking and as such her lips brushed his as she spoke.

Bruce's response was to kiss her again, more insistently. Natasha reciprocated, causing Bruce's heart to speed up. It sped up but he didn't feel the bug guy come to the surface so he felt strangely safe indulging even further in the moment, pulling Natasha even tighter to himself as she deepened the kiss. It was at this moment that a throat clearing indicated that they weren't alone. The two didn't jump apart but rather pulled apart slowly despite the fact that they had been caught practically making out just outside of the infirmary where Natasha's father lay injured.

Natasha was the first to look at the intruder, ready to glare when she realized it was Wanda. Her younger sister leaned against the door frame with one eyebrow raised at the two. Bruce blushed a bit at the clique of being caught by the younger sibling. After a few moments Wanda finally spoke, "Papa is awake Nat. He wishes to see you to ensure you are still well."

Natasha nodded and pulled even further from Bruce before looking directly at him, "This discussion isn't over. F.R.I.D.A.Y. Please lift the restriction of my floors for Dr. Banner and at 6:30 tonight remind him he is to be waiting for me at my door by 7 PM." When the AI confirmed what Natasha said, the red head went into the infirmary. This left Bruce and Wanda in the hall.

Wanda eyed the man before breaking the tension, "Do not hurt her again. I may not be able to cut off your balls or kill you but I can easily trap you within your own mind for a very long time. Do not forget that. Now come, Papa wants to know if he can go back to his rooms yet." With this, Wanda turned back into the infirmary and Bruce followed, not wishing to irritate the powerful witch.

Steve was beside Bucky who was now sitting and firmly holding Steve's hand. It seemed to Bruce as if he were attempting to ground himself in the reality of the moment, much as Bruce and Natasha had been doing a few moments before. Pietro and Natasha smiled fondly at the man on the bed and Wanda was quick to join them.

"Hello, Mr. Barnes. How are you feeling now?" Bruce asked as he looked at the read out of the heart monitor that Bucky had been attached to.

"A lot better than a few hours ago. Bullets always hurt like a bitch. I'm surprised you stitched me up though. My experience has always been for the 'doctor' to simply bandage it until it healed itself. It usually doesn't take too long," Bucky's way of saying doctor told Bruce a multitude of how he was handled. A quick glance told him that the blood bag was empty and it was unlikely that there would be a further need for more. He put gloves on his hands and quickly removed the needle from Bucky's arm and shifted the bag on its rack away.

"Well, if it really heals that quickly, let me take a look and we will see whether they are necessary," Bruce responded before lifting the hospital gown of the man on the bed to expose the bandaging. He pulled away the gauze on Bucky's side and applied light pressure to the area. There was no blood oozing out which was a good sign. "How does it feel with my applying this pressure?"

"A little sore but no more than it would be if it was a two-day old bruise, or at least for a normal person," Bucky responded as he watched Bruce examine the injury.

Bruce nodded before checking if the skin had merged back together, which it had. With another nod he grabbed surgical scissors and chuckled, "Well, you can count yourself lucky that you heal so quickly. Anyone else would have had to keep the stitches in for another two weeks. I suppose I can take them out but you have to promise no strenuous activity for the next two days. At the rate you are healing you should be fine by then."

With this Bruce started to remove the stitches after Bucky nodded his understanding and Steve's stern face told Bruce that he would ensure that his orders were followed even if Bucky didn't like it. After Bruce had removed the stitches he let Steve and the others take Bucky off to his rooms. Bruce had a feeling that Steve would be a mother hen for the next few days but it really was best for Bucky to rest in order to recover properly, regardless of what ever super healing he was capable of.


	27. The Power of Medicine and the Mind

**This is a fan made story. I don't own the rights to Captain America, any of its characters or any characters within the MCU… Much to my disappointment. This will have some violent content and possible triggers. Steve/Bucky slow build relationship. Constructive criticism is welcome but if you don't like it simply because you don't like the line of thinking, please don't attack me for it.**

Chapter 26: The Power of the Medicine and the Mind

Tony had disappeared just after the Avengers had gotten back to the tower but if anyone had bothered to look for him they would have found him in his lab. He had managed to retrieve all the data from the facility that Ross had been secretly running. Now he was sifting through it and the biggest thing he noted was that there were the records of all the research Bruce had done on trying to recreate Erskine's serum. The irony of the situation was not lost on Tony. His father had been heavily involved in Project Rebirth. Actually, his father had been the one to get Erskine out of Germany. He was also the one who employed Erskine. It had been a contracted position but the extent of the relationship between Howard Stark and Dr. Erskine had been mostly concealed. Erskine had brought all of his research that was meant to help humanity into a new age of enlightenment. Howard had provided the funding and 'the catalyst' they needed to properly finish the process.

No one knew at Erskine's death that Howard had all of Erskine's research safely stored away. Tony had actually discovered it by accident due to the time he had created the element his father's Expo model kept hidden. After he had recovered from his frustrations of the failure of Ultron, he had decided to find out if his father had left any further nuggets of research in the old junk that he had kept. As it so happened, there was a replica of the vibranium shield Howard had given to Steve that had micro etchings on the inside. F.R.I.D.A.Y. had had to magnify them extensively before Tony could even figure out what it was. When he did, Tony had had all the micro etchings recorded and stored beneath layers of encryptions before destroying the replica of the shield completely.

Tony had found Zola's notes on his variation of the serum in the files that Daisy had translated. Unfortunately, he couldn't do anything about SHIELD having a copy of those files but the Computer Genius had assured him that she would bury it so deep no one would even know it existed. Bruce's variation was on Ross's facility computers. In all three cases, the serums only ever had one 'success' per a serum. The reason Tony was locked away in his lab was that he now had three variations derived from one man's research to move the world into a better direction and he felt almost compelled to compare the three.

What he had found was actually astonishing. The serums themselves were nearly identical with only miniscule changes here or there from Erskine's original version. In Zola's case, he was working from blood samples from Johann Schmidt. Bruce's version was based off the notes made by the scientist who had worked with Steve's blood. In both cases this could easily account for the differences. After a lot of internal debate, Tony decided that he had to reveal the truth of what he knew to the three men who had taken the serum as well as Natasha and the twins since they had inherited it from Bucky as well.

By the time that Tony had come to this conclusion, two days had passed without him realizing it. There was an automatic refill for the coffee pot when it got low so Tony had basically been living off the stuff since he had gotten back from the rescue mission. First though, Tony wanted Bruce to confirm his suspicions and test a few theories he had. Tony ordered his AI to call Bruce and anyone with super serum in their systems down to the lab.

Bruce and Natasha arrived at the same time and there was virtually no tension so Tony figured they must have worked out whatever was going on with them. Natasha raised an eyebrow when Tony requested a blood sample but when he assured her that it was important and everything would be in-house she reluctantly agreed. Bruce was a bit harder to persuade but Tony dismissed this until he got the samples from Bucky, Steve and the twins. Steve brought food for Tony when he and Bucky arrived last.

"Ok, now will you explain why you are taking samples from everyone?" Bruce asked as Bucky and Steve left. Tony didn't respond, instead he put the three files of the three serum formulas up on oh the hollo table.

Bruce raised an eyebrow but examined it when Tony waved him to the table and glared at his bemused look. Bruce's confusion quickly turned to shock, "This is my formula. Where did you get this and what are these similar ones? Variations?" Bruce ask pointing to the one on the right with a serious expression.

"I got yours from Ross's computers when we were at the facility. And technically speaking, yours is the variation. The first one is Erskine's formula and the second is Zola's," Tony responded as he pulled down the formulas and brought up the notes from Erskine's research. "I will trade you these original study notes for a sample of your blood to test a hypothesis. I promise that we can destroy it after we finish if it makes you feel better."

Bruce looked at Tony before nodding and holding his arm out so that the other man could take a blood sample. He went back to looking at the holograph and reading through the notes. Tony finished quickly and left Bruce to read while he ran all the samples through his latest Mass Spec. After he started the machine he went and collected the food that Steve brought and ate since he realized that he was a bit hungry. As he did so Bruce spoke up while reading, "What are you looking for exactly?"

"My theory is complex. I don't want to influence your opinion by presenting it to you. I want you to read through those notes first and present your own theory. If they match and the tests come back like I think they will… Well, I think we may have some real answers to a lot of questions," Tony responded as he glanced at the machine. It would take several hours for it to run all the tests he was looking for so he collapsed onto the couch to catch up on the sleep lost when he was working.

A few hours later, Bruce woke him and gave Tony the confirmation he was expecting. The men checked the Mass Spec and found the exact results they had expected. Bruce looked like he was both elated and heartbroken at the same time but Tony simply patted him on the back and had F.R.I.D.A.Y. call the others back to the labs.

"Ok, what is going on? You locked yourself in here as soon as we got back from Ross's facility and two days later ask for blood samples, at which point Bruce joins you in the locking in the lab factor," Natasha looked annoyed as she arrived with Wanda and Pietro. Steve and Bucky following just behind.

"I second that. What is this about," Steve joined in.

Tony looked ready to start bouncing off the walls so Bruce gestured for him to explain to the others, "Ok, So Steve you know how my dad helped with Project Rebirth? Well, as it turns out, dear old dad didn't just help with it. He was Erskine's employer. Dad and Erskine were contracted by the US government for Project Rebirth after one of their techs or something leaked to the government that they were working on a serum to eradicate disease but that it was having some… alternative affects as well. Those affects being that they 'enhanced' certain aspects other than just the immune system. Naturally, big brother wanted a piece of the prize. Dad and Erskine only agreed to it on the grounds that Erskine got final say in any and all recipients of the serum. The Army was greedy enough to agree to the terms and conditions applied. This is why it was you and not some big brutes getting the serum."

Steve nodded his understanding of this but the rest looked curious, "I always did wonder why it was me that got picked. You saying you know?"

"Yep. See, one of the side effects of the serum is that it 'enhanced' the features most desirable to the person receiving it. So, a person who wanted to say, save the world, like Captain America, would gain the physical abilities to do so. That is the first side effect, the second was that it influenced the mind to make the most of the abilities gained. So, your priority of saving the world because you had a good heart became even more powerfully important to you. In someone like the Red Skull on the other hand, it enhanced him to be what he most wanted and it made his desire for godhood top priority," Tony explained.

"Yeah, Erskine said something like that when I asked him," Steve said. "But why would that be a feature in the serum. You would think they wouldn't want a bunch of soldiers with their own agendas."

"They didn't do it on purpose. It was a side effect. One that neither Erskine nor myself could eliminate as it so happens. My research was based off the blood samples your provided after Erskine dies. Tony's dad apparently had all the research of Erskine but wasn't going to let anyone have it and hid it very well. I have seen what it can drive a man with less scruples into doing. Emil Blonsky got my version too and then he got some of my blood. It wasn't pretty. According to the notes of Ross's people they ended up dissecting him after I killed him," Bruce explained before Tony jumped in to continue.

"Yes and since both Bruce's and Zola's versions were based off of Erskine's so they had that same feature. It is why so many other attempts failed. The other reason the other attempts failed was because Zola and Bruce didn't know that a catalyst was needed to give the serum a jump start if you will. The catalyst needs to be something that brings the person almost to the point of death. In Steve's case, Vita rays were used. In Bruce's case, when he tested the serum on himself and then used Gamma radiation to test that it worked, that became the catalyst. Bucky is the outlier since he actually didn't receive his 'catalyst' if you will until months after the initial injection meaning that the serum worked very slowly into his system until it happened. His was the fall from the train during WWII," Tony was nearly vibrating with excitement.

"What about us three? We were born with it so does that mean we didn't need a 'catalyst'? I wasn't exactly anything special before von Strucker's experiments. Nor was Pietro," Wanda pointed out.

"Actually, you did need a catalyst as well. It was basically dormant in you three until extreme circumstances brought it forth. In Natasha's case it was her Red Room training which was a literal constant life or death situation. In you and Pietro's case, it WAS Strucker's experiments on you two. I am willing to bet the two of you were the only survivors. That was the third factor by the way, what the catalyst is influences how the serum can manifest. For Steve who lived on the brink of death and was exposed to something that should have killed him, it enhanced his body to a near indestructible state. For Barnes, healing was a major factor, one that didn't come into play for Steve until he got froze was yours from the get go. For Bruce it made the HULK, for Natasha it made extreme adaptability. For the twins, well, it gave you the ultimate offensive and defensive capabilities. None of you have the exact same personalities so it altered you based on who you are as people," Tony was calming a bit now.

"The third and final effect the serum has is that it is constantly forcing you all to evolve based on your current needs. Myself being the most obvious example, 'the Hulk' if you will, is evolving to be more of a major offensive force with massive defensive capabilities. I'm also far more aware than I used to be. This is because mine manifested originally as a sort of enhancement of my 'fight or flight' instinct because for me, survival has always been the underlying tone for my life. My father was abusive so it pretty much comes with the territory. It is why even when I… tried something stupid… I failed. Bucky is another pretty big example. He has probably faced death quite a few times. The more you face extreme circumstances the more 'catalysts' you have meaning the Serum becomes even more active and thus effective. And before you ask how something that was injected so long ago still have effect, the first thing the serum does is alter the DNA of the person so that their bodies will create more. So essentially it is self-replicating," Bruce looked uncomfortable after this revelation.

"SO what does that mean for all of us? We can't die?" Pietro asked after a brief silence.

"Not quite. Bruce's original catalyst was so intense and his 'priority' is survival so he can't. Bucky and Steve would probably have to be killed with a nuke if we wanted to kill them. You of second generation though have a more 'natural' kind of version of the serum meaning you never got injected. What you have is purely because of the genetic alterations to Bucky that were passed on to you lot. In your cases you would all have to receive something that was instantly fatal like a bullet to both the brain and heart or having your heads chopped off. Anything short of an instant death and there is the possibility that homeostasis could be restarted even if you did die. In fact, that may have been what happened with Pietro so he might have upgraded to the nuclear option as well. In Bruce's case we would have to launch him into the sun and hope he doesn't turn into some weird sun monster," Tony joked the last bit. "It, however, does mean that if you all haven't already stopped aging then you will soon. You are basically immortal in that sense. Also, if any of you were to have children this is a trait that is clearly guaranteed to be passed on, obviously it already has."

"I can't have kids," Natasha stated bluntly since Tony was glancing between her and Bruce.

"That may not be true, Nat," Bruce responded softly. "If they just tied your tubes… well as far as we can tell the serum would have repaired any of the damage from that. So, unless they took out your ovaries or your uterus it is probable, possibly even highly likely that they already have repaired themselves."

"Well, I am not going to get knocked up by you if your sterile," Natasha pointed out, not convinced.

"If it fixed you, you think it isn't going to fix him? What applies to one of you applies to all of you. Bruce is likely to be just as capable of kids as any of the rest of you. In fact, given the success the Red Room had on their 'breeding program' with Bucky, I would say it is even possible that you are all a very fertile bunch," Tony commented.

"So that is it? We are a bunch of immortal freaks? That is what you figured out?" Bucky finally spoke up, not irritated, just curious.

"Well, I wouldn't say freaks… Ok yeah, you are all immortal freaks. At least you don't have to stop running around being heroes because you get too old or something," Tony chuckled.

After another hour of discourse over how this would influence the future the group all dispersed. Natasha opting to tell Clint since she thought of him as family as well. Wanda and Pietro told Vision and T'Challa just before T'Challa left to return to his duties in Wakanda. Clint left soon after to rejoin his family until there was a need for him.

Thor was pleased to learn the news that he wouldn't be facing the rest of his long life without some of his friends. He even asked Tony if it would be possible to see if Jane would be able to have the serum but Tony pointed out that they knew very little of how long term the effects were and that it may not have been the most advisable choice. In the end, Thor brought the written formula back with him to Asgard for his people to study and see if there was any way to give it to Jane without her facing any risks.

Over the coming months and years, many things would change but those changes and ultimately the challenges brought with them would only strengthen the six super humans and their friends.

 **Author's Note: This is the end, at least for now. I may possibly do a sequel focusing on Bruce and Natasha but for now I have gotten to what I wanted for this story.**


End file.
